Spice guide / Asafoetida
What is Asafoetida?
Resin spice (hing). Compounded products may contain gluten.
Short answer: Asafoetida (Hindi: हींग) is Ferula assa-foetida. Allium-like, pungent. Culinary use only — not a medicine.
| Common name | Asafoetida |
|---|---|
| Hindi | हींग |
| Sanskrit | — |
| Botanical name | Ferula assa-foetida |
| Family | Apiaceae |
| Origin | Resin imported and compounded in India; compounded hing often contains wheat or rice flour — allergen critical |
| Main producing regions | Himachal Pradesh |
| Flavour | Allium-like, pungent |
| Aroma | — |
| Forms | powder |
| Retail packs | 100g–5kg (typical; see products) |
| Bulk | 10kg+ |
What is Asafoetida?
Asafoetida is a gum-resin. Many retail “hing” products are compounded with starch. Ingredients and allergens are mandatory, not optional.
History of Asafoetida
Origin
Resin imported and compounded in India; compounded hing often contains wheat or rice flour — allergen critical
Growing regions
Himachal Pradesh
How it is grown
Harvest
Processing
Grades
- Standard: Admin-configured commercial grade
- Premium: Admin-configured higher visual/purity selection
- Export Grade: Only show when export specifications exist for the lot
- Machine Cleaned: Machine cleaned — confirm process for the lot
Only grades that apply to a lot should be shown at purchase. These are templates, not invented industry certificates.
Flavour, aroma and colour
Allium-like, pungent. . Colour: . Heat: none.
Whole vs ground
Asafoetida is typically used as a powder or blend. Keep the tin airtight, away from the hob steam, and replace when the aroma has gone flat.
Culinary uses
- Dal
- Sambar
- Kadhi
- Pickle
Traditional uses
Recorded in culinary tradition. Traditional use is not scientific evidence of a medical effect.
SpicyCenter does not claim that spices cure, treat or prevent disease.
Storage and shelf life
Nutrition
Asafoetida is a culinary seasoning. Nutrition values are pack-specific and must match the label for UK/EU sale. We do not claim that this spice treats, cures or prevents disease.
Buying guide
Retail packs typically run from 100g to 5kg. Bulk starts at 10kg. Selling prices are checkout prices. Indian market figures, when present, are indicative only.
Recipes using this spice
- Dal tadka — Yellow lentils finished with a hot cumin, chilli and hing tempering.
- Sambar — Lentil-vegetable stew with tamarind and mustard tempering.
- Tomato rasam — Pepper-cumin rasam — thin, sour, and meant to be sipped with rice.
- Misal pav — Sprouted-bean usal with a spicy rassa — Kolhapuri heat if you want it.
- Toor dal amti — Slightly sweet-sour Maharashtrian dal with goda masala.
- Lemon rice — Tempered leftover rice with mustard, curry leaf and turmeric.
- Puliyodarai (tamarind rice) — Temple-style sour rice paste with mustard and sesame.
- Kanda poha — Flattened rice with mustard-cumin tadka.
