About the aromatic spice / herb Asafoetida

Asafoetida  also spelt as Asafetida  is the dried latex which gets exuded from the tap root of several species of Ferula, a perennial herb  which grows to a height of about  1 to 1.5 meters.  Asafoetida is a herb native to India and has a smooth flavour when added to a dish.
Asafoetida is known to help in digestion as a digestive aid. It is used in the preparations as a condiment in curries and dals as well as pickles. Eventhough Asafoetida has a very strong odour, the aroma after it gets cooked becomes more milder  and pleasant particularly when it is sauteed  in ghee or oil. It goes very well with sauteed onions and garlic when added to Dals / lentils .
 Asafoetida used to be sold only in blocks or pieces as a gum in the olden days and nowadays we find it as a fine powder, which comes in airtight containers. Asafoetida has been used as a tenderizer  and a preservative for meat in the olden days.

Health benefits of Asafoetida 
Asafoetida is known to help in digestion .
Asafoetida reduces flatulence  as it reduces the growth of bacteria in the stomach and abdomen.
Asafoetida  is being used as an anti viral drug against Flu.
 In Ayurveda medicine, Asafoetida is considered  to be one of the best spices which can be used as a remedy for balancing the vata dosha.

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