Asafoedita (hing) - have you used it??

Question

This Indian spice is used on the subcontinent by vegetarians who don't want the arousal associated with garlic. A friend is allergic to garlic: do you think he would enjoy asafoedita?

To 'thin k...', you're right. I hate it when I misuse a term. He has extreme digestive (use your imagination) disorders, not an allergy.

Answer 1

It has a VERY powerful flavor. I would say it is even more potent than garlic, in terms of flavor per unit mass. For example people in India add no more than a quarter teaspoon to a pot of soup (or at most, half a teaspoon) and this is ground asafoetida that has been mixed with flour. If you overuse it, it imparts a bitter strong flavor and it can cause temporary bad breath.

I'm really not sure about allergenic information. On the one hand it is totally unrelated to garlic; this is a dicot in the carrot family and garlic is a monocot. On the other hand, both contain organic sulfur compounds.

Answer 2

Asafoetida is a very, very stinky but wonderful flavor enhancer.

Actually being "allergic" to garlic is extremely rare, most people who claim an allergy just don't like garlic, and if your friend doesn't like garlic it's a sure bet he won't like asafoetida either!

Answer 3

I can't pronounce it, so I'm sure I've not used it, and I know I couldn't spell this. I don't even know what it is. I've had foreign spices. I do not like them. They have a funny taste to me. (This is because I am use to the American spices). I once went to a real mexican restaurant. I couldn't eat what I ordered because I wasn't use to their spices.

Answer 4

I dont know much about it but I have heard that it is mainly used to tame gassy foods like beans. I dont think it has much of a flavor on its own.