Rani Asafetida Ground Parent

Reviews

1. 

   K2PQ – August 10, 2025

   I have a lot of Indian recipes ranging from Dal(s) to various curries where I use this. I would guess that is why most folks buy it. One issue I have had with another brand (bought elsewhere) in the past is clumping – where literally the entire container had turned into a solid mass. This was nice and granular / powder and no problems.

   I do store the container inside a ziplock bag. I figure it will help keep moisture / humidity out of it when not in use and it does / can have a strong scent (which the bag helps contain)

   I do also have a friend that is allergic to onions and garlic. Yes – there is such a thing. If I know they are coming over and I am cooking a non-Indian recipe that normally uses onion or garlic, I will use this instead. It's not a 100% replacement in a recipe but for those where there is a bit of onion / garlic called for – I find this is a good substitute. Just don't over-do it.

2. 

   Elizabeth Rose Douglas – August 10, 2025

   I have only had the chance to use it once. I am on a low fodmap diet and chose this as a substitute for onion and garlic. I combined it with other ingredients to make a run for my pork but was delicious!

3. 

   Amazon Customer – August 10, 2025

   These are great for cooking, but OMG do they stink! My son loves to make authentic historically accurate recipes. The one for this ingredient tasted great but I’m very noise sensitive, so I had to stay away from the kitchen while he prepared the meal.

4. 

   Amazon Customer – August 10, 2025

   Wow, this stuff amazing. Before making this purchase I did some research to find out more about it and pretty much everything I read online was true: this tastes much like a blend between onion and garlic and you really only need a pinch or the flavor will overpower the other ingredients in your dish! It tastes great, is easy to use, and if you’re avoiding onion and garlic but need that added boost to your cooking, this is a great addition. Warming it in oil is key! And I typically use less than 1/8 of a teaspoon, it’s that strong! I’m very happy with the quality and value of this product!

5. 

   Dal Fry (Indian Curry Lentils) Made Easy! – August 10, 2025

   I'm from Minnesota and had never heard of this spice, but I've battling Lyme and started researching Myrrh (it was good enough for baby Jesus so…).

   When I first smelled it, I didn't like it – it's very pungent. But then I wanted to smell it again because there's something about it that's so compelling.

   Used in dishes, it's not pungent, it becomes smooth and hits all the 5 flavor senses. It's addicting. Love it! I'll never be without it again.

   Per Wikipedia:

   Asafoetida (/æsəˈfɛtɪdə/; also spelled asafetida)[1] is the dried latex (gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula (F. foetida and F. assa-foetida), perennial herbs growing 1 to 1.5 m (3.3 to 4.9 ft) tall. They are part of the celery family, Umbelliferae. Notably, asafoetida is thought to be in the same genus as silphium, a North African plant now believed to be extinct, and was used as a cheaper substitute for that historically important herb from classical antiquity. The species are native to the deserts of Iran and mountains of Afghanistan where substantial amounts are grown. The common modern name for the plant in Iran and Afghanistan, is "badian", meaning: "that of gas or wind", due to its use to relieve stomach gas.

   Asafoetida has a pungent smell, lending it the trivial name of stinking gum, but in cooked dishes it delivers a smooth flavour reminiscent of leeks or other onion relatives. The odor dissipates upon cooking. Asafoetida is also known variously as "food of the devils", "devil's dung", javoneh-i badian, hing, hengu, inguva, kayam, and ting.

   Asafoetida comes from Gum Arabic or Myrrh, that was used in the anointing (oil) of Jesus (along with with Cinnamon, Kusa grass, Bay leaf, olive oil, in the ratio, 2:1:1:2:1.8). Its use has been popular throughout centuries since the early 2nd century BC. It was familiar in the early Mediterranean, having come by land across Iran. Though it is generally forgotten now in Europe, it is still widely used in India. It emerged into Europe from an expedition of Alexander the Great, who, after returning from a trip to northeastern ancient Persia, thought they had found a plant almost identical to the famed silphium of Cyrene in North Africa—though less tasty.

   Dioscorides, in the first century, wrote, "the Cyrenaic kind, even if one just tastes it, at once arouses a humor throughout the body and has a very healthy aroma, so that it is not noticed on the breath, or only a little; but the Median [Iranian] is weaker in power and has a nastier smell." Nevertheless, it could be substituted for silphium in cooking, which was fortunate, because a few decades after Dioscorides' time, the true silphium of Cyrene became extinct, and asafoetida became more popular amongst physicians, as well as cooks.

   Asafoetida is also mentioned numerous times in Jewish literature, such as the Mishnah. Maimonides also writes in the Mishneh Torah "In the rainy season, one should eat warm food with much spice, but a limited amount of mustard and asafoetida [חִלְתִּית chiltit]."

   Asafoetida was described by a number of Arab and Islamic scientists and pharmacists. Avicenna discussed the effects of asafoetida on digestion. Ibn al-Baitar and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi described some positive medicinal effects on the respiratory system.

   After the Roman Empire fell, until the 16th century, asafoetida was rare in Europe, and if ever encountered, it was viewed as a medicine. "If used in cookery, it would ruin every dish because of its dreadful smell" asserted Garcia de Orta's European guest. "Nonsense," Garcia replied, "nothing is more widely used in every part of India, both in medicine and in cookery. All the Hindus add it to their food."During the Italian Renaissance, asafoetida was used as part of the exorcism ritual.