Thread: asafoetida

On 4/3/2011 7:58 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> sf wrote:
>
>> I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
>> and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
>> afternoon. The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
>> have on hand though. The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy". Ha!
>
> Whole Foods carries it. Dreadful stuff.
>
>


Isn't that what people (in the Middle Ages?) wore in a cloth bag around
their necks to ward off werewolves or evil spirits? I remember reading
that it had an awful odor. I have read novels set in the rural south
where it was called something like "assafidity".

gloria p

On Apr 3, 6:15*pm, "gloria.p" <gpues...@comcast.net> wrote:
> On 4/3/2011 7:58 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> > sf wrote:
>
> >> I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
> >> and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
> >> afternoon. *The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
> >> have on hand though. *The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy". *Ha!
>
> > Whole Foods carries it. *Dreadful stuff.
>
> Isn't that what people (in the Middle Ages?) wore in a cloth bag around
> their necks to ward off werewolves or evil spirits? *I remember reading
> that it had an awful odor. *I have read novels set in the rural south
> where it was called something like "assafidity".
>

Hing grows above ground.

On Apr 3, 5:57*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
> and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
> afternoon. *The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
> have on hand though. *The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy". *Ha!http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/reci...gali-butternut...
>

Huh. "Panch phoran" is fenugreek, Nigella seed, cumin seed, radhuni
and fennel seed. We have everything but the radhuni.

sf wrote:

> I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
> and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
> afternoon. The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
> have on hand though. The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy". Ha!

Whole Foods carries it. Dreadful stuff.

On Sun, 3 Apr 2011 18:26:55 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Apr 3, 5:57*pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> > I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
> > and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
> > afternoon. *The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
> > have on hand though. *The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy". *Ha!http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/reci...gali-butternut...
> >
>
> Huh. "Panch phoran" is fenugreek, Nigella seed, cumin seed, radhuni
> and fennel seed. We have everything but the radhuni.

I only have fenugreek because of the name, I've never used it - no
Nigella or radhuni. I have ground cumin, not seed... but I do have
fennel seed. And nothing to grind anything in, I have no idea what
happened to that coffee grinder but it sprouted legs and walked off a
couple of years ago.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

"gloria.p" wrote:

> Isn't that what people (in the Middle Ages?) wore in a cloth bag around
> their necks to ward off werewolves or evil spirits? I remember reading
> that it had an awful odor. I have read novels set in the rural south
> where it was called something like "assafidity".

It only emits odor if you cook with it, like putting
it in a soup or a stew.

On Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:15:31 -0600, gloria.p wrote:

> Isn't that what people (in the Middle Ages?) wore in a cloth bag around
> their necks to ward off werewolves or evil spirits? I remember reading
> that it had an awful odor. I have read novels set in the rural south
> where it was called something like "assafidity".

Rosemary's Baby was set in New York, IIRC. Or was it Chicago? It was
a fictional herb called "Tanas Root" that was meant to ward off GOOD
spirits. "Tanas" is an anagram of "Satan".

Asafoetida would be unknown to the southern U.S. as it's not a native
plant. But it does come from a root (rhizome).

-sw

On Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:26:33 -0800, Mark Thorson wrote:

> "gloria.p" wrote:
>
>> Isn't that what people (in the Middle Ages?) wore in a cloth bag around
>> their necks to ward off werewolves or evil spirits? I remember reading
>> that it had an awful odor. I have read novels set in the rural south
>> where it was called something like "assafidity".
>
> It only emits odor if you cook with it, like putting
> it in a soup or a stew.

No, it stinks pretty good in it's raw form as well. The odor
initially gets worse when you cook with it, but then it does off q
quickly.

It's a completely useless ingredient unless you're avoiding certain
superstitious foods and want to improve your aura.

-sw

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:26:33 -0800, Mark Thorson wrote:
>
>> "gloria.p" wrote:
>>
>>> Isn't that what people (in the Middle Ages?) wore in a cloth bag around
>>> their necks to ward off werewolves or evil spirits? I remember reading
>>> that it had an awful odor. I have read novels set in the rural south
>>> where it was called something like "assafidity".
>> It only emits odor if you cook with it, like putting
>> it in a soup or a stew.
>
> No, it stinks pretty good in it's raw form as well. The odor
> initially gets worse when you cook with it, but then it does off q
> quickly.
>
> It's a completely useless ingredient unless you're avoiding certain
> superstitious foods and want to improve your aura.
>
> -sw


Substitute onions. If you want it to taste and smell correct, use
sprouted half-rotten onions.

-Bob

"sf" <[email protected]> ??????[email protected]..
> On Sun, 3 Apr 2011 18:26:55 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Apr 3, 5:57 pm, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
>> > I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
>> > and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
>> > afternoon. The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
>> > have on hand though. The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy".
>> > Ha!http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/reci...gali-butternut...
>> >
>>
>> Huh. "Panch phoran" is fenugreek, Nigella seed, cumin seed, radhuni
>> and fennel seed. We have everything but the radhuni.
>
> I only have fenugreek because of the name, I've never used it - no
> Nigella or radhuni. I have ground cumin, not seed... but I do have
> fennel seed. And nothing to grind anything in, I have no idea what
> happened to that coffee grinder but it sprouted legs and walked off a
> couple of years ago.
>
> --
>
> Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.


it looks nice,i am a chinese people ,but i like it~

On Apr 3, 7:33*pm, Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
> On Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:15:31 -0600, gloria.p wrote:
> > Isn't that what people (in the Middle Ages?) wore in a cloth bag around
> > their necks to ward off werewolves or evil spirits? *I remember reading
> > that it had an awful odor. *I have read novels set in the rural south
> > where it was called something like "assafidity".
>
> Rosemary's Baby was set in New York, IIRC. *Or was it Chicago? *It was
> a fictional herb called "Tanas Root" that was meant to ward off GOOD
> spirits. *"Tanas" is an anagram of "Satan".
>
> Asafoetida would be unknown to the southern U.S. as it's not a native
> plant. *But it does come from a root (rhizome).
>

Then why do Jains eat it?

Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:

>"gloria.p" wrote:

>> Isn't that what people (in the Middle Ages?) wore in a cloth bag around
>> their necks to ward off werewolves or evil spirits? I remember reading
>> that it had an awful odor. I have read novels set in the rural south
>> where it was called something like "assafidity".

>It only emits odor if you cook with it, like putting
>it in a soup or a stew.

It contains "foetid". Remember that.

Essential for saag paneer, don't know that you want to use it
in anything else.

Steve

"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>
> I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
> and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
> afternoon. The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
> have on hand though. The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy". Ha!
> http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/reci...ipe/index.html
>
> --


I seem to remember that was a remedy for consumption back around 1900. Hang
an asafoetida bag around your neck.

Jill

On 4/4/2011 4:00 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
> Mark Thorson<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> "gloria.p" wrote:
>
>>> Isn't that what people (in the Middle Ages?) wore in a cloth bag around
>>> their necks to ward off werewolves or evil spirits? I remember reading
>>> that it had an awful odor. I have read novels set in the rural south
>>> where it was called something like "assafidity".
>
>> It only emits odor if you cook with it, like putting
>> it in a soup or a stew.
>
> It contains "foetid". Remember that.
>
> Essential for saag paneer, don't know that you want to use it
> in anything else.
>
> Steve

I believe certain groups of strict Hindus (like Hari Krishnas) don't use
onions or garlic because they are *associated* with meat cooking and try
to replace them with hing. On the other hand, prepared garam masala
often contains the stuff but the end result in cooking is quite good
even if the odor is pretty disgusting when you stir it in. The general
reaction of non-Indians to hing is discussed by Gernot Katzer:
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/index.html. I will just give a few
names to illustrate the nearly uniform western reaction to asafoetida:
devil's dung, merde du diable and Teufelsdreck.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm "not"
[email protected]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
>
> "sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]..
> >
> > I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
> > and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
> > afternoon. The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
> > have on hand though. The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy". Ha!
> > http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/reci...ipe/index.html
> >
> > --
>
>
> I seem to remember that was a remedy for consumption back around 1900. Hang
> an asafoetida bag around your neck.
>
> Jill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida

is well worth a read

Janet

"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>
> I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
> and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
> afternoon. The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
> have on hand though. The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy". Ha!
> http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/reci...ipe/index.html
`

You can buy it online or in Indian markets. It has a kind of garlic/onion
taste. Be really, really careful with it as just a tiny bit too much will
ruin the dish. That's kind of true with Indian food in general. Hard to
get the balance just right. It's the one cuisine I gave up on. I was never
very impressed with my results. My many attempts at palak paneer never
matched what I ate in Indian restaurants. Saag aloo, vindaloo, saag
paneer - same. I just buy jarred tadkas now.

Paul

In article <[email protected]>,
Janet <[email protected]> wrote:

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida
>
> is well worth a read
>
> Janet

Yes it was, thanks!
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
"One man's theology is another man's belly laugh."
--Robert Heinlien

"jmcquown" wrote:
>"sf" wrote:
>>
>> I hadn't heard of it before this morning (or I didn't remember it),
>> and wouldn't you know... I found a recipe that calls for it this
>> afternoon. The recipe requires too many other ingredients I don't
>> have on hand though. The show is called "Indian Food Made Easy". Ha!
>> http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/reci...ipe/index.html
>
>I seem to remember that was a remedy for consumption back around 1900.
>Hang an asafoetida bag around your neck.

Stank, eh... now we can thank the Indians for the term douchebag. hehe
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/boos...etida-bag.html

On 2011-04-04, Omelet <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Janet <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida
>>
>> is well worth a read
>>
>> Janet
>
> Yes it was, thanks!

Couple more fun factoids:

In Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series (Master and Commander), Dr
Maturin always keeps a stock of asafoetida on hand to add to oral
boluses. It was added specifically to make them taste bad, as it was
the universal belief amongst common sailors that a medicine that
didn't taste horrible couldn't be of any real value.

My own experience confirms jes how strong asafoetida can really smell.
When entering an unfamiliar Indian grocery store in Berkeley, CA, the
stink was overwhelming and completely permeated that rather spacious
store. Got to chatting with the proprietor and learned they had jes
taken delivery of a fresh new shipment of asafoetida (hing). She told
me the previous owner had actually stored it out behind the store in a
cabinet next to the gas meter, but she didn't mind it. The new
shipment was a buncha small sealed (not too well) plastic containers
totaling an amount about half the size of a shoebox, yet the fragrance
was so powerful it literally assaulted one's olfactory the second the
front door was opened. Some serious stink!

nb