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Concept
Asafoetida
Summary
Asafoetida (æsəˈfɛtɪdə; also spelled asafetida) is the dried latex (gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula, perennial herbs of the carrot family. It is produced in Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, northern South Asia, and Northwest China (Xinjiang). Different regions have different botanical sources.
Asafoetida has a pungent smell, as reflected in its name, lending it the common name of "stinking gum". The odour dissipates upon cooking; in cooked dishes, it delivers a smooth flavour reminiscent of leeks or other onion relatives. Asafoetida is also known colloquially as "devil's dung" in English (and similar expressions in many other languages).
The English name is derived from asa, a latinised form of Persian azā 'mastic', and Latin foetidus 'stinky'.
Other names include, with its pungent odour having resulted in many unpleasant names:
Typical asafoetida contains about 40–64% resin, 25% endogeneous gum, 10–17% volatile oil, and 1.5–10% ash. The resin portion contains asaresinotannols A and B, ferulic acid, umbelliferone and four unidentified compounds. The volatile oil component is rich in various organosulphide compounds, such as 2-butyl-propenyl-disulphide, diallyl sulphide, diallyl disulphide (also present in garlic) and dimethyl trisulphide, which is also responsible for the odour of cooked onions. The organosulphides are primarily responsible for the odour and flavour of asafoetida.
Many Ferula species are utilised as the sources of asafoetida. Most of them are characterised by abundant sulphur-containing compounds in the essential oil.
Ferula foetida is the source of asafoetida in Eastern Iran, western Afghanistan, western Pakistan and Central Asia (Karakum Desert, Kyzylkum Desert). It is one of the most widely distributed asafoetida-producing species and often mistaken for F. assa-foetida. It has sulphur-containing compounds in the essential oil.
Ferula assa-foetida is endemic to Southern Iran and is the source of asafoetida there. It has sulphur-containing compounds in the essential oil.
Official source
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