A kitchen that smells of asafoetida

[Ducksredux]

My wife keeps telling me that our kitchen smells like dead rodents courtesy of the tiny bottle of asafoetida I have in the spice drawer. It's wrapped in 3 ziplock bags, but apparently that isn't good enough to keep it from smelling up that sector of the kitchen. Any suggestions on how to store it?

[petite tête de chou]

Put the triple plastic wrapped package in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.

[lesfen]

I'm sorry... I have nothing to offer here. I just looked up asafoetida. They keep calling it the "stink finger". The 13-year-old-boy in me finds that very amusing. Carry on.

[muichoi]

I quite like the smell...but seriously, chuck out the powder and buy the resin . It lasts forever and doesn't smell, and is very easily ground at the time of use.

[Saffy]

I keep mine in it's jar ( with a tight lid) and inside two snaplock bags.. seems to work for me!

[anzu]

I quite like the smell...but seriously, chuck out the powder and buy the resin . It lasts forever and doesn't smell, and is very easily ground at the time of use.

←

I agree that the resin is better. However, I never found it to be available readily outside of India. (I buy mine on my visits to India).

Therefore, Muichoi, where did you buy asafoetida resin?

I quite like the smell too.

Incidentally, it's German name is Teufelsdreck - Devil's Dung

[Pan]

The powdered resin is not difficult to find here in New York. I guess the Indian community in Berlin is very small?

[anzu]

Pan, not powdered resin - that's commonly available - what I'm discussing is buying resin that is still whole. It's a translucent darkish brown, has no smell, and you break small pieces off when you want to use it, then smash them up further in a mortar and pestle.

Apart from the lack of smell, it's better than the ready powdered stuff, as the whole resin is guaranteed to be pure whereas the powder is most often mixed with other ingredients such as gum arabic, wheat and/or rice flour, and turmeric for color.

[Pan]

Worse, it may have adulterants like preservatives.

[muichoi]

The whole resin is easily available here in west london,as is everything one could possibly want for Indian cooking.

[moosnsqrl]

I tried SO hard to like asafoetida but I'm sorry to say I ended up storing it in a far-away place. Those of you who like it, did you always? I know our tastes change with age/cellular changes, but my reaction was so strong to it I'm not sure I will ever learn to love it. I would be curious if you grew-up loving it or learned later in life.

[liv4fud]

moosnsqrl,

unfortunately, one doesn't really ever come to terms with the smell

you would usually get offended by it (mostly beyond repair) if you use it in a very high concentration. usually we add a pinch to nearly a 2 gallon lentil soup and that too in the tadka or in the pre-stir-fry oil.

usually its said that if you can taste it, you have already gone too far. usually used as a digestive aid and fragrant so use very very sparingly

(in terms of resin, they use nearly a 1"x1"x2" block for nearly 300 people )

[jw46]

My wife keeps telling me that our kitchen smells like dead rodents courtesy of the tiny bottle of asafoetida I have in the spice drawer.  It's wrapped in 3 ziplock bags, but apparently that isn't good enough to keep it from smelling up that sector of the kitchen.  Any suggestions on how to store it?

←

Old style bottle with rubber gasket and wire device for keeping lid secure works fine for me...

Edited October 12, 2005 by jw46 (log)

[Ducksredux]

My wife keeps telling me that our kitchen smells like dead rodents courtesy of the tiny bottle of asafoetida I have in the spice drawer.  It's wrapped in 3 ziplock bags, but apparently that isn't good enough to keep it from smelling up that sector of the kitchen.  Any suggestions on how to store it?

←

Old style bottle with rubber gasket and wire device for keeping lid secure works fine for me...

←

Several days later and the stench is gone. Thank you all very much. You've restored domestic harmony and marital bliss.

[muichoi]

I tried SO hard to like asafoetida but I'm sorry to say I ended up storing it in a far-away place.  Those of you who like it, did you always?  I know our tastes change with age/cellular changes, but my reaction was so strong to it I'm not sure I will ever learn to love it.  I would be curious if you grew-up loving it or learned later in life.

←

I love the smell-it has a lot in common with the aroma of truffles,while being right at the other end of the price spectrum. Don't use it as a substitute though!

[Hector]

I have a bunchload of Hing (or Asafoetida) that I've used when re-enacting ancient Roman dishes (only to be used pinchwise in). Now I don't know what to do with the whole lot. I understand that it's used in Indian dishes, but in which context? I have read that it should go well with pulses, and I have some recipes with dhal containing it. But is there any more dishes to try it in?

[Milagai]

I have a bunchload of Hing (or Asafoetida) that I've used when re-enacting ancient Roman dishes (only to be used pinchwise in). Now I don't know what to do with the whole lot. I understand that it's used in Indian dishes, but in which context? I have read that it should go well with pulses, and I have some recipes with dhal containing it. But is there any more dishes to try it in?

←

many sabzis (veggie side dishes, north or south indian style) use a pinch of

hing at the tarka stage.

the dals also use it as a tarka ingredient.

most south indian dishes use hing.

dishes that use onions and garlic don't use hing, as it is seen as

a substitute....

use up your stash fast or it will lose potency

milagai

Edited October 28, 2005 by Milagai (log)

[Hector]

I have a bunchload of Hing (or Asafoetida) that I've used when re-enacting ancient Roman dishes (only to be used pinchwise in). Now I don't know what to do with the whole lot. I understand that it's used in Indian dishes, but in which context? I have read that it should go well with pulses, and I have some recipes with dhal containing it. But is there any more dishes to try it in?

←

many sabzis (veggie side dishes, north or south indian style) use a pinch of

hing at the tarka stage.

the dals also use it as a tarka ingredient.

most south indian dishes use hing.

dishes that use onions and garlic don't use hing, as it is seen as

a substitute....

use up your stash fast or it will lose potency

milagai

←

Ok thank you, it will be very hard to use it all up, I've got loads and recipes call for pinches. Can't make all my Indian food taste like hing..

Please explain the "tarka" thing...Not very familliar with indian cooking stages.

Very interesting to know that Asafoetida was once one of the most common seasoning in European cooking, during the antiquity dishes was often seasoned with asafoetida, along with condiments and spices as grape must, black pepper, honey, levisticum and fish sauce.

[Milagai]

Tarka, aka baghar, aka chhaunk etc

is a very critical step in Indian cooking,

one definition here:

http://www.corianderleaf.com/glossary.html#baghar

This URL says you add the baghar (=tarka) at the end,

but most cooking I do starts with this step and the other ingredients

are then added to the pan...

ps: using hing in an Indian dish will not make the dish

taste of Hing. It's a very subtle addition, and the main taste

of the dish will depend on the other, more dominant, spices and

ingredients.

Milagai

Edited October 28, 2005 by Milagai (log)

[Hector]

Tarka, aka baghar, aka chhaunk etc

is a very critical step in Indian cooking,

one definition here:

http://www.corianderleaf.com/glossary.html#baghar

This URL says you add the baghar (=tarka) at the end,

but most cooking I do starts with this step and the other ingredients

are then added to the pan...

ps:  using hing in an Indian dish will not make the dish

taste of Hing.  It's a very subtle addition, and the main taste

of the dish will depend on the other, more dominant, spices and

ingredients.

Milagai

←

Well I had my share of Hing overdosing in some dishes. and those definatley tasted it. Thought recently I made a great sabzi dish with mung dhal, vegetables and tamarind. Seasoned with chillies, mehdi, hing, coriander and tumeric. Where it was really great using hing.

Thank you very much for explaining the tarka stage.

[Mayur]

Sort of a non sequitur, but...

It continues to amaze me how many friends of mine who enjoy horrendously stinky cheeses, preserved eggs, strange cuts of meat, et cetera find asafoetida's odor offensive. Mineral tang, yes. Acrid, yes. But as rotten or, er, fetid-smelling as a Morbier or Chabicou? Please.

[Ducksredux]

Sort of a non sequitur, but...

It continues to amaze me how many friends of mine who enjoy horrendously stinky cheeses, preserved eggs, strange cuts of meat, et cetera find asafoetida's odor offensive. Mineral tang, yes. Acrid, yes. But as rotten or, er, fetid-smelling as a Morbier or Chabicou? Please.

←

when I got some Rolf Beeler Reblochon aged probably only 40 days I could smell it two floors up... and it was in the refrigerator. That's why I just shrugged when my wife complained about the hing. She actually wound up quarantining the asafoetida, as well as my black salt and chunky chaat masala (MDH brand). Meanwhile she dives right into our baby's dirty diapers without complaint.

[jw46]

when I got some Rolf Beeler Reblochon aged probably only 40 days I could smell it two floors up... and it was in the refrigerator. 

When I buy Limburger, or any other aromatic critter, I use our vacuum bag sealing machine.. Super sucks it once then puts it in another bag a does it again..

NOT having to listen to wifeys comments about the aroma is worth the expense, plus the cheese keeps for much longer under vacuum..