Asafoetida (Hing)

Asafoetida (Hing) is an Ayurvedic herb that helps alleviate spasmodic pain through its carminative and calming effects. It is known as Hing, which is a dried gum resin obtained from Ferula plants. It is highly regarded for supporting digestive health, reducing gas and bloating, and serving as a flavorful alternative to garlic and onion in vegetarian cuisine.

It is pungent, warming, heavy, and penetrating, providing benefits such as digestive support, toxin reduction, spasm relief, improved breathing, parasite elimination, downward movement, menstrual support, and pain relief. It also functions as a heart tonic, nervine, and reproductive aid.

Bio-medical actions include digestive, nervine, carminative, anthelmintic, antispasmodic, analgesic, emmenagogue, and expectorant effects.

How to buy Hing

You can find Hing at Indian stores, either mixed with flour or the resin. I stock pure Hing if you'd like to purchase that product.

Best way to use:

Resin: take a small amount, dissolve it in water, and add it to the cooking process.

Powder: use a pinch or up to ¼ teaspoon at most, and it's best to cook the “bloom” in cooking fat as a first step. Using the powder without cooking results in a very strong, acidic taste.