Asafoetida: unusual Asian spice

Spice asafoetida is prepared from milky juice, which is extracted from the roots of the same plant. Herbaceous plant asafetida (he hasMene attractive name - Ferula smelly) belongs to the family Umbrella. Thus, asafoetida is a "relative" of fennel, parsley, carrot, celery, fennel, parsnip, anise, caraway, coriander and many other plants widely used in cooking.

Asafoetida has a pronounced taste and a pungent smell, reminiscent of a mixture of onion and garlic (and the garlic component is brighter). The smell is very volatile, it is able to soak the room in a few minutes and not to fade within a day. And the taste of asafoetida is felt in the mouth for several hours, and rinsing of the mouth can not help.

In the finished form, this spice is a yellowish grains of indeterminate form and different sizes, bound together by a sticky massyellowish brown color. Inside, these grains have milky-white color with pink veins, and if cut, under the influence of air their color in place of the cut will first become purple-red and then maroon.

Before use, asafoetida is often smeared into powder. In order to make it more convenient, you need to cool it: The higher the temperature, the softer and more elastic the asafoetida. And in the cold it becomes fragile, and grinding it is much easier.

Sold and sold finished asafoetida in powder, but it is not as pure as asafoetida in the form of resin: before the sale, wheat or rice flour is added to it, so that the spice does not stick together, and the smell is not so sharp.

How to choose a quality asafetida? In good asafoetida, grains should be large,color - bright, and the mass itself should be elastic. In Asian markets, it is believed that Iranian varieties of asafoetids are of better quality, and Patan (Afghan) are inferior to them in quality.

Because of the caustic volatile smell Store asafoetida in a hermetically sealed container. It is advised to even put this container in another cask with a tight-fitting lid.

Asafoetida can be used to make a variety of dishes, but it is distributed almost exclusively in Asian cuisine: Indian, Javanese, Iranian, Afghan, Kurdish. And in Iran and Afghanistan it is added to meat dishes (usually from mutton), and in India and Java - to rice and vegetable (for example, chutney).

If you use asafoetida in resin, it should be used in very small quantities (one pea is enough for a large pot) and fry in oilto soften the pungent smell and taste. The powder can not be fried, and you can add it more than tar. The aroma of resin in the finished dish will be brighter than the fragrance of the powder.

Usually, asafoetida is used in combination with other spices, it also helps to soften its taste. It does not work well with garlic and onions (because of similar taste), it is best to combine it with cumin, turmeric, ginger and black mustard.

Asafoetida is appreciated by Asian culinary experts not only for its distinct taste, but also for its beneficial properties. In folk medicine it was used as an expectorant and antispasmodic. This spice improves digestion and prevents flatulence.

Asafoetida is a rather specific Asian spice, and Use it carefully, practically in microscopic doses. But with proper use, she can successfully replace garlic and give the usual dishes new tints of taste.