Asafoetida - Devil's Dung! or Hing
Asafoetida is a pungent spice that comes from the sap of Ferula roots. In it's raw gum form it has a foul smell hence the name Devil's Dung! Once fried for 30secs in oil though, it gives a lovely onion/leek/garlic flavour. Phew. It is used widely in Indian, Persian & Arabic food. I found mine at a local asian store, where it was known as 'Hing' , but all the big manufacturers make it, so it will be in a lot of supermarkets. You can buy it in bags of untreated resin, but it is very pungent & very smelly! Far more often it comes in powder form in pots, mixed with a little rice flour to keep it dry and make the taste less harsh. Just in case, here are a few stockists.... GREENLIFE.CO.UK SPICESOFINDIA.CO.UK THEASIANCOOKSHOP.CO.UK For USA use ISHOPINDIAN.COM For the rest of Europe use: INDIASTORE.DE Hope this helps!