Asafoetida

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Joanna Savage

  • Sr. Member
Asafoetida
« on: July 09, 2014, 06:54:57 PM »
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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Alisdair

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Re: Asafoetida
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2014, 10:24:48 AM »
Joanna, you can find some recipes using it here. Have to admit I wasn't inspired by what they say!
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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Speedy

  • Newbie
Re: Asafoetida
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2014, 10:59:46 PM »
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!
« Last Edit: September 18, 2014, 11:08:56 PM by Speedy »
320mm rainfall- winter dominant
high max temp 46.9 degC 
 av mean max temp 23.8degC
Low min temp -5.2 degC 
av mean min temp 9.3 degC
65-70m asl
300km inland
sandy loam over clay with limestone nodules below the surface

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JTh

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Re: Asafoetida
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2014, 10:49:20 AM »
There are a few companies selling asafoetida seeds on the internet, such as https://www.horizonherbs.com/product.asp?specific=328.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.