Hing what is

It is a dark brown, resin-like substance that is derived from the root of ferula. Ferula is a perennial herb related to celery, parsley, and carrots and looks like a giant fennel plant. It's grown mainly in India but also in Iran and Afghanistan. A gum is extracted from the plant and then processed into a coarsely-textured yellow powder, which is what is known as hing or asafetida. When raw, hing has a distinctive, sharp, pungent smell that's often likened to boiled eggs or a mix of onions and sulfer.

It becomes extremely fragrant when added to hot oil or the clarified butter ghee to temper a dish. It's also common to simply add a pinch directly to a dish. Some say that when cooked it has the scent of leeks. Hing can be bought at any Indian food store in the form of small lumps or as a powder. In the U. It is so pungent that the smell will permeate your cupboard and be nearly impossible to remove. For that reason, it's best to store it in air-tight containers, even if it was purchased in plastic.

When paired with turmeric, hing is commonly found in lentil curries like dal, along with other vegetable dishes. Hing can be used to balance out foods that are too sour, sweet, salty, or spicy.

It's also used as an agent in pickling. As a digestive, asafoetida may be able to help with flatulence, bloating, and constipation. It may also be used for colic babies, since infantile colic has been linked to gastrointestinal discomfort and cramping. Asafoetida is an anti-inflammatory that is thought to lower your blood pressure. This could reduce the impact of inflamed blood vessels that cause headaches.

This spice is thought to promote the production of progesterone, an important hormone produced by the female body. It is said that taking asafoetida can increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Combine garlic and asafoetida together for an anti-itch skin balm. This may also speed up the healing process. Asafoetida allegedly helps reduce acne while also giving your skin a youthful glow.

If you add it to a homemade hair mask, it may be able to increase moisture and reduce frizziness. There are no studies that prove the effectiveness and safety of asafoetida when taken as medicine, so tread carefully!

In India and Thailand Heeng is most commonly used as a digestive aid apart from cooking. Listen to the latest songs , only on JioSaavn.

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