Latin Name: Ferula assafoetida.

In India, it is called Pure Hing or Heeng.

Asafoetida, native to Afghanistan and Iran, is also referred to as the food of the Gods, giant fennel, stinking gum, devil’s gum, asant, and yang. It is a spice made from the dried latex from the roots of various plants of the Ferula genus. The perennial plants need to be at least four-years-old before they are ready to produce latex.

Raw asafoetida has a strong, unpleasant odor and is bitter in taste. However, when used as a spice, it adds a smooth flavor to cooked foods. It is used in almost all Indian cooking and is also used in pickling. You can prevent pickles from going bad by exposing the inside of the jar or container to asafoetida smoke before filling it with your pickled foods. It is available as a solid, waxy, ball, a powder, and more recently, in tinctures as a liquid extract.

These are some of the reported benefits of asafoetida hing according to the Ayurvedic medicinal tradition:

Antimicrobial
 Anti-inflammatory
 Fights infections, such as yeast and respiratory infections
 Expectorant
 Nervine stimulant
 Anti-epileptic and antispasmodic
 Antihelmintic (fights parasitic worms)
 Relieves digestive problems, like flatulence, constipation, stomachaches
 An antidote for opium overdose
 Anti-cancer
 Relieves menstrual problems, such as painful cramps and irregular menses
 Acts as a contraceptive/abortifacient
 In Ayurveda, it is used to balance Vata (air) and Kapha (earth) — two elements that constitute a person’s biological energy.