QA Forum

Question & Answer

We are discussing Cooking for life
With Kurma Dasa, Sue Dengate, Dave Tuff, Jacinta Dugbaza, Roger Bayley

Question:
What is asafoetida and where do I get it?

Answer:
Dave - Asafoetida is a spice common ingredient in a lot of Indian vegetarian dishes, primarily with legumes and dishes featuring vegetables such as cauliflower. In itself it has a strong and pungent odour which does mellow in cooking to give the taste of onion and garlic. It comes in a common form as a powder cut with rice powder but can be obtained as a resin or sap. I find it best to use the ready ground product as it’s less messy and less work.

It is also used as an antispasmodic and a digestive aid when added to tea if you get an upset tummy, well so I am told, I haven’t tried it that way my self yet. It can be purchased through any Indian specialty store, some Asian grocery stores and there’s always my favourite straight to the door using the www method.

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