Asafoetida, Stinking Gum
It is a temperate plant. It grows in dry stony locations. It needs rich, well-drained soil. It needs to be in the sun. It grows up to 100 m altitude.
Also known as:
Ase fetide, Assafetida, Balhika, Devil's dung, Ferule persique, Food-of-the-gods, Haltheeth, Heeng, Hengu, Hing, Hinga, Hingu, Inguva, Laser, Maha hing, Perungayam, Perunkaya, Sheingho, Shein-ngo-bin, Steckenkraut, Stinkasant, Stinkendes, Terfelsdreck, Tyib, Yang
Synonyms
- Ferula rubicaulis Boissier
- Ferula pseudalliacea Rech.f.
- Narthex polakii Stapf & Wettst.
Edible Portion
- Leaves, Root, Spice, Stems, Gum
Where does Asafoetida grow?
Found in: Afghanistan, Asia, Bangladesh, Central Asia, China, India, Indochina, Iran, China, Europe, Greece, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Turkey
Notes: There are 172 Ferula species. It is anti flatulent.
Status: It is a cultivated food plant.
Growing Asafoetida, Stinking Gum
Cultivation: Plants are grown from seed.
Edible Uses: It is used as a seasoning. The resin is sold in lumps. It is used to flavour soups, curried fish, sauces and pickles. The leaves and stems can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The bad smell disappears with cooking. The spice is made from the milk like juice of the plant. It is added to meat balls and gives a truffle like flavour. It is also used in Worcestershire sauce. The young folded heads are eaten raw. The roots are roasted and eaten.
Production: The sap is collected from plants that are at least 4 years old. The roots are exposed then slashed in a shady location for 4-6 weeks until the resin seeps out and hardens. The drying resin is then scraped off. The powder is made by grinding the dried resin with some form of starch.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
References
Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 220
Bremness, L., 1994, Herbs. Collins Eyewitness Handbooks. Harper Collins. p 169
Brown, D., 2002, The Royal Horticultural Society encyclopedia of Herbs and their uses. DK Books. p 211
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 18 (As Ferula assa-foetida)
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 306
Hemphill, I, 2002, Spice Notes. Macmillan. p 50
Kiple, K.F. & Ornelas, K.C., (eds), 2000, The Cambridge World History of Food. CUP p 432, 1722
Lim, T. K., 2015, Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants. Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Springer p 42
Mulherin, J., 1994, Spices and natural flavourings. Tiger Books, London. p 27
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
PROSEA handbook Volume 13 Spices. p 255
Raghavan, S., 2007, Handbook of Spices, Seasonings, and Flavourings. Second Edition. CRC Press p 69
Seidemann J., 2005, World Spice Plants. Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy. Springer. p 156
Solomon, C., 2001, Encyclopedia of Asian Food. New Holland. p 13
Sp. pl. 1:248. 1753
Tareen, N. M., et al, 2016, Ethnomedicinal Utilization of Wild Edible Vegetables in District Harnai of Balochistan Province - Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Botany 48(3): 1159-1171
van Wyk, B., 2005, Food Plants of the World. An illustrated guide. Timber press. p 194
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew