iSPICE: Asafetida, Washington Post online

by Monica Bhide on April 25, 2010 · 1 comment

in Spice of the Month

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Asafetida stinks. So why is it popular?

Its name stems from the Persian "aza" (mastic resin) and the Latin "foetida," referring to its strong sulfurous odor. In the Indian herbal medicine Ayurveda, asafetida is used to stimulate appetite and digestion. It helps neutralize flatulence caused by beans and other legumes. Hence, the spice stinks. Not you.

Read more here along with a really fun interview and recipe from Ammini Ramachandran.

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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawm4j86r401ilItapBkpVTByrMLPMitWRHs April 26, 2010 at 1:06 pm: Thanks to random experimentation, I found out that asafetida has a wonderful affinity for avocado. I love avocado mashed onto whole wheat toast with some salt and asafetida sprinkled on top.

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iSPICE: Asafetida, Washington Post online

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