Despite sounding like something out of an artificial sweeteners and additives list, asafoetida is actually a natural product. It is a dried resin gum from the rhizome or taproots of certain species of the giant fennels.

 The plants by the time they are four or five years old, have massive, thick, fleshy, and woody carrot-shaped taproots, and it is at this stage that the resin is collected. The soil is scraped away from the roots to expose the upper parts and deep incision is made. A milky resinous juice exudes, which starts to coagulate upon exposure to air. Most asafoetida comes from Iran and Afghanistan. According to the Oxford Companion to Food, ‘the name asafoetida

Picture by Werner Van Peppen

It is a popular spice in vegetarian dishes, and is also used as a substitute for onions and garlic, which are prohibited to certain Hindu castes – Jains and Brahmins, who do not eat roots. Only small amounts of asafoetida are needed for flavouring food. A pinch of the powder is sufficient. When asafoetida is added to hot oil and fried, it changes character and the powerful smell becomes an oniony and garlicky aroma.