Rani Organic Asafetida (Hing) Ground 3.75oz (106g) PET Jar ~ All Natural | Salt Free | Vegan | Non-GMO | Kosher | Asafoetida Indian Spice | Best for Onion Garlic Substitute | USDA Certified Organic

I'm from Minnesota and had never heard of this spice, but I've battling Lyme and started researching Myrrh (it was good enough for baby Jesus so...).When I first smelled it, I didn't like it - it's very pungent. But then I wanted to smell it again because there's something about it that's so compelling.Used in dishes, it's not pungent, it becomes smooth and hits all the 5 flavor senses. It's addicting. Love it! I'll never be without it again.Per Wikipedia:Asafoetida (/æsəˈfɛtɪdə/; also spelled asafetida)[1] is the dried latex (gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula (F. foetida and F. assa-foetida), perennial herbs growing 1 to 1.5 m (3.3 to 4.9 ft) tall. They are part of the celery family, Umbelliferae. Notably, asafoetida is thought to be in the same genus as silphium, a North African plant now believed to be extinct, and was used as a cheaper substitute for that historically important herb from classical antiquity. The species are native to the deserts of Iran and mountains of Afghanistan where substantial amounts are grown. The common modern name for the plant in Iran and Afghanistan, is "badian", meaning: "that of gas or wind", due to its use to relieve stomach gas.Asafoetida has a pungent smell, lending it the trivial name of stinking gum, but in cooked dishes it delivers a smooth flavour reminiscent of leeks or other onion relatives. The odor dissipates upon cooking. Asafoetida is also known variously as "food of the devils", "devil's dung", javoneh-i badian, hing, hengu, inguva, kayam, and ting.Asafoetida comes from Gum Arabic or Myrrh, that was used in the anointing (oil) of Jesus (along with with Cinnamon, Kusa grass, Bay leaf, olive oil, in the ratio, 2:1:1:2:1.8). Its use has been popular throughout centuries since the early 2nd century BC. It was familiar in the early Mediterranean, having come by land across Iran. Though it is generally forgotten now in Europe, it is still widely used in India. It emerged into Europe from an expedition of Alexander the Great, who, after returning from a trip to northeastern ancient Persia, thought they had found a plant almost identical to the famed silphium of Cyrene in North Africa—though less tasty.Dioscorides, in the first century, wrote, "the Cyrenaic kind, even if one just tastes it, at once arouses a humor throughout the body and has a very healthy aroma, so that it is not noticed on the breath, or only a little; but the Median [Iranian] is weaker in power and has a nastier smell." Nevertheless, it could be substituted for silphium in cooking, which was fortunate, because a few decades after Dioscorides' time, the true silphium of Cyrene became extinct, and asafoetida became more popular amongst physicians, as well as cooks.Asafoetida is also mentioned numerous times in Jewish literature, such as the Mishnah. Maimonides also writes in the Mishneh Torah "In the rainy season, one should eat warm food with much spice, but a limited amount of mustard and asafoetida [חִלְתִּית chiltit]."Asafoetida was described by a number of Arab and Islamic scientists and pharmacists. Avicenna discussed the effects of asafoetida on digestion. Ibn al-Baitar and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi described some positive medicinal effects on the respiratory system.After the Roman Empire fell, until the 16th century, asafoetida was rare in Europe, and if ever encountered, it was viewed as a medicine. "If used in cookery, it would ruin every dish because of its dreadful smell" asserted Garcia de Orta's European guest. "Nonsense," Garcia replied, "nothing is more widely used in every part of India, both in medicine and in cookery. All the Hindus add it to their food."During the Italian Renaissance, asafoetida was used as part of the exorcism ritual.

I have a lot of Indian recipes ranging from Dal(s) to various curries where I use this. I would guess that is why most folks buy it. One issue I have had with another brand (bought elsewhere) in the past is clumping - where literally the entire container had turned into a solid mass. This was nice and granular / powder and no problems.I do store the container inside a ziplock bag. I figure it will help keep moisture / humidity out of it when not in use and it does / can have a strong scent (which the bag helps contain)I do also have a friend that is allergic to onions and garlic. Yes - there is such a thing. If I know they are coming over and I am cooking a non-Indian recipe that normally uses onion or garlic, I will use this instead. It's not a 100% replacement in a recipe but for those where there is a bit of onion / garlic called for - I find this is a good substitute. Just don't over-do it.

Good spice thanks

I just tried it yesterday after hearing about it on the Today show. It's very tasty and a little goes a long way. Love how it combines the taste of onion and garlic, eliminating having to use 2 condiments each time.

All good!

Truly excellent flavor. I added it to my bread recipe to elevate the flavor and it was wonderful!

This product is not what the label says. Real asafetida (Hing) would "stink" up the entire house, if you opened the package. The reason I use this term "stink" is because to someone who is not used to the culinary use of this spice or to Indian/Persian cuisine, the smell of asafetida would be overwhelming. I cannot describe the aroma other than "stink"- and sometimes referred to as "stinking gum". The name contains the description of its smell ("fetid").I did not like the smell of raw Hing till I started cooking with it myself.This one has no aroma at all. The bottle tells you "whole", but actually each of those globules is 90% some sort of flour or binding agent. Real Hing is soft. I couldn't break these on a mortar-pestle. Since the binding agent is sort of a flour (wheat, I think), when I added these broken pieces to the tempering oil, they simply caked up. Hing is a resin and usually soft when fresh. It pops into a flowery look when put in hot oil. So, whatever they are selling, it ain’t "Whole Hing".

Friend is allergic to garlic, onion, etc. This seasoning led to a successful Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, gravy, & dressing (stuffing)! Others couldn't tell the difference! Great value. Great taste. Tolerable smell (lol).