The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Perennials => Topic started by: Joanna Savage on July 09, 2014, 06:54:57 PM
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This plant was grown from seed from a seed exchange. It is a sp. of Ferula. Doeas anyone have experience of growing it or eating it? It lacks the architectural stature of giant Ferula and doesn't have the feathery leaves of bronze fennel. There doesn't seem to be much to recommend it.
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Joanna, you can find some recipes using it here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/asafoetida). Have to admit I wasn't inspired by what they say!
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I've been looking for seed for many years.
I last grew it over 25yrs ago, but haven't been able to find it since.
Where can I get seed from?
As far as extracting it, I read something about it years ago.
If I remember correctly ,
the flowering plant is cut down to a stump and the foliage left over the cut plant.
It exudes a resin that is periodically cut off with a thin slice of the stump.
It's then dried and ground to a powder.
The asafoetida that can be bought in Asian shops is compound asafoetida
and mixed with fillers such as wheat and or rice flour, gum Arabic and in some brands, turmeric powder.
It's often used with lentils and other pulses.
Devotees of Krishna use it in place of onions and garlic in their food
as they don't cook with members of the onion family.
Asafoetida can give a similar quality (from sulphur compounds I think)
to the food that onions or garlic do.
I've gotta say, I really like the flavour and aroma of it.
I always put it in Dahl or with veges if I'm cooking them with Indian spice mixes.
Cauliflower cooked with chilli and tomato and panch phoran ( Indian five spice mix)
Asafoetida , ginger, turmeric, garlic , curry leaves and ghee
Is soooo good!
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There are a few companies selling asafoetida seeds on the internet, such as https://www.horizonherbs.com/product.asp?specific=328.