What is hing / asafetida?
Hing, also known as Asafoetida, is the secret weapon of Indian cuisine. Aromatic and pungent, a tiny pinch makes every other spice shine.
Made from the dried resin of a giant fennel-family plant. It is pleasantly aromatic and pungent raw. It becomes mellow and garlicky when cooked in ghee and evokes a beautiful savory flavor when paired with turmeric.
We now offer three kinds of hing.
What's the difference?
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Green Label: Asafetida Powder
- 20g ($0.60/g)
- 20g - 6 pack ($0.50/g) - Great option if you use in small quantity but want to save by purchasing multiple bottles.
CONTAINS: No gluten ingredients. Processed in a facility that also handles gluten-containing ingredients. -
Blue Label: Asafetida Powder, Batch Tested Gluten-Free
- 20g ($0.70/g)
- 20g - 6 pack ($0.60/g) - Great option if you use in small quantity but want to save by purchasing multiple bottles.
Blue Label and Green Label Asafetida Powder have exactly the same ingredients in the same ratios. The only difference is that Blue Label is batch tested gluten-free and the Green Label is not tested. -
Gold Label: Pure Resin Lumps, Batch Tested Gluten-Free
- 15g ($1.19/g)
To use, either grate a tiny amount off with a microplane in the exact quantity you need, or crush the lump to break off a pinch using a heavy mortar and pestle, then grind the smaller amount into a powder. Lump hing is even more potent than our asafoetida powder, so use sparingly.
Pure Indian Foods 100% pure asafetida lumps smell mouthwateringly delicious, like garlic or leeks!
Testimonials
Sandeep Agarwal & Hing
"This is a picture of me with the package of hing in the back of my van. As soon as I heard it had arrived at Newark airport, I drove straight there! I was so excited, I couldn't wait for the delivery truck. Just got it myself!! It smelled SOOOO GOOD without even opening the package!
I really love hing. I have fond memories of growing up in India, where my mother would give a tadka of hing in ghee (sautéed it in ghee) and add it to the food she prepared. The whole kitchen would be filled with a beautiful aroma.
She didn’t have to 'text' family members to come for the meal; everyone just rushed to the kitchen right away. However, the terrible quality of hing available in the U.S. market shocked me. I started my search for a good quality product. It took me several years and multiple international trips, after which I discovered this lovely fragrant one. It is up to 10x stronger than other compound powders found in the market. You need to use only a pinch.
This hing powder reminds me of my childhood memories and all the hearty meals that my mom prepared for our family. Give it a try and let me know how you liked it. If you love hing like I do, then this is what you've been looking for."
Common Questions
Does your hing smell?
Does your hing smell?
Is hing a good substitute for onions & garlic?
Is hing a good substitute for onions & garlic?
Is asafetida (hing) low FODMAP?
Is asafetida (hing) low FODMAP?
Is your asafetida gluten-free?
Is your asafetida gluten-free?
Is asafetida the same thing as hing?
Is asafetida the same thing as hing?
What does asafetida taste like?
What does asafetida taste like?
Do you recommend asafoetida for its health benefits?
Do you recommend asafoetida for its health benefits?
Cooking with Asafetida Powder
- Simply mix a pinch of powder with 1 tsp of ghee, olive oil, or sesame oil; sauté and add to cooked grains, legumes, or vegetables.
- Traditionally used as a digestive aid, added to legumes (beans and peas) and gas-producing vegetables as an anti-flatulent. Add to a large pot of beans or lentils when cooking.
- Combine a pinch of powder with 1 TBSP ghee in a saucepan. Sauté a colorful variety of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini or yellow squash. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine a pinch of powder with 1 TBSP ghee in a saucepan. Sauté leafy greens such as kale, collards, chard or spinach. Add curry powder and a splash of coconut milk.
- Scramble eggs with a pinch of asafoetida and pure ghee or butter. Add any other vegetables you want.
- Combine a pinch of powder with 1 TBSP ghee and 1 tsp curry powder, and cook for a few seconds. Add grains such as millet or rice. Fry just a moment, then add broth or water and cook as normal.
- In a saucepan, heat cooked chickpeas in a mixture of ghee and a pinch of asafoetida. Add spices to taste such as salt, pepper, curry powder, turmeric, cumin and coriander. Serve over rice or quinoa.
- Stir a little asafoetida and ghee into favorite onion-and-garlic-free pasta sauce for delicious, IBS-friendly marinara sauce.
- Add a little asafoetida and turmeric to sautéed ground meat when making chili, Sloppy Joes, or spaghetti with meat sauce.
Devil's Dung or God's Food?
Perhaps no other food has caused such controversy when it comes to loving or hating the pungent smell of raw hing. Raw hing has been called both "Devil's Dung" due to the strong smell and "God's Food" because it's so good for you. Numerous studies have been done on the benefits of this spice!
In English, it is called both "hing" and "asafoetida." Asa is a Latinized form of the Persian word azā, which means "resin." The Latin foetidus means "smelling, fetid."
Even though there is all this talk about how bad hing smells, I guarantee you ours is the most aromatic, pleasant hing you've ever smelled. I can say this with confidence because it's the most aromatic, pleasant hing I have personally ever smelled, and I've smelled a LOT of hing!
When I found this hing, I just knew I had to bring it back for you, so you could enjoy it, too! Enjoy!