Asafoetida

Asafoetida originates from Iran and belongs to the specie of Ferula, which is also interestingly known sometimes as the devil's dung, and the food of Gods. Asafoetida is an unusual herbaceous plant which can grow as high as 2 m with hollow and succulent stems of about the diameter of 5 to 8 cm. The leaves of Asafoetida are long enough extending to about 30-40 cm in length. The flowers are known to be large and purely yellow in colour. Asafoetida is distinguished fro its strong, and pungent odor because of which it is being called with many unpleasant names in various languages corresponding to its odor.

The uses of Asafoetida are more diversified than any other of its associated category of plants. The prime use of the Asafoetida is its dried sap which can be extracted from its stem and roots as to be used as a spice.

The resin of Asafoetida is greyish-white in color and is really difficult to grate, for which traditionally stones were used. The most easily available form of the Asafoetida is the fine powder. This spice created with the Asafoetida is used as a digestive aid and also as pickles in food. It is known to have very strong odor because of which it should be kept closed in a container so as to avoid the contamination of other spices nearby. It gives a smell of a type of onion and so in India it is used instead of Onions and garlic. It is also used to coat the fish before frying. The main areas of growth of this plant are Iran, Kashmir and also Afghanistan.

Like most of the other herbs Asafoetida is also used in medical uses specially as a digestive aid. It is also known to have been useful in the conditions of Asthma and Bronchitis.