Hing is the pungent resin with a smell so strong that it is usually kept in a tightly sealed jar. In Ayurveda it is called hingu, and in Indian kitchens it is the pinch added to hot oil at the start of dal, with a savoury, onion-like depth that surprises people once it is cooked.
This page explains how the tradition describes asafoetida and how it is used in the kitchen. It also states plainly what we could not confirm. We did not find a dedicated page on it from the safety sources this site relies on, so the safety section is deliberately cautious and general.
What it is
Asafoetida is a gum-like resin collected from the thick roots of several giant fennel plants of the genus Ferula, most often Ferula assa-foetida. These plants grow in the dry regions of Iran and Afghanistan, and most of the hing used in India is imported from there. The roots are cut, and the milky sap that oozes out dries into a hard, brownish resin.
- Sanskrit: hingu (also hingu in compounds such as hingvashtaka, a classical spice blend)
- Hindi: hing
- English: asafoetida, sometimes written asafetida
- Plant part used: the dried resin from the root
The name comes from the Latin word for foetid, which describes the raw smell. The cooked smell is very different. Frying a small amount in hot fat softens the sulphur notes into something warm and savoury.
Two practical points about what you buy. Pure resin is hard and sold in lumps, and most households buy it as a fine powder. Powdered hing is usually compounded, meaning blended with a bulking agent such as rice flour, wheat flour or gum arabic, because the pure resin is so strong. Some of these powders contain wheat, so a person with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy should read the label.
The traditional view
Later materia medica such as the Bhavaprakasha describe a substance by its taste (rasa), its energy (virya) and its effect after digestion (vipaka). The profile commonly taught for hingu is below, though teachers phrase it in slightly different ways.
- Taste (rasa): pungent (katu)
- Qualities (guna): light, sharp and oily
- Energy (virya): heating (ushna)
- After-digestion effect (vipaka): pungent
- Effect on the doshas: said to calm vata and kapha, and to raise pitta if used heavily.
Because it is heating and pitta-raising, the tradition’s advice for someone who often feels overheated or acidic is to use only a tiny amount, or none. The page on eating for pitta explains that way of thinking.
Hingu is classed in the tradition as a digestive spice, linked with agni, the digestive fire, and with foods that are considered heavy or gas-forming, especially beans and lentils. It is one of the ingredients in the classical blend called hingvashtaka, which is described in the literature as a spice mix taken with food. We report this as what the tradition says, and we do not describe how that or any compound medicine is made or taken. It is a statement about history and culture, and nothing here says asafoetida treats any condition.
In the kitchen
Hing is used in very small amounts, usually a pinch the size of a grain of rice or two, because its flavour grows with cooking and can turn harsh and bitter if too much is added.
- Added to hot ghee or oil for a few seconds, just before the other tempering spices, in dal and sambar
- Stirred into vegetable dishes, especially those built on cabbage, cauliflower, potato and gourds
- Used in kitchari, the rice and lentil dish described on the kitchari page
- Used in place of onion and garlic in cooking traditions that avoid those two alliums, including some Jain, Vaishnava and temple kitchens, where hing supplies the savoury note
- Stirred into buttermilk or yoghurt-based drinks and chutneys
To use it well, fry it very briefly. Burnt hing is acrid. Keep the jar in an airtight container, ideally inside a second one, because the smell will otherwise get into other spices. It pairs naturally with cumin, mustard seed and turmeric, which are all part of the group in spices in the Ayurvedic kitchen. The pages on cumin and ajwain cover two companions that cooks often use alongside it.
What research says
We did not find a page on asafoetida from the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, or from the LiverTox database of the US National Library of Medicine, so we cannot report trials or safety findings from those sources. Many websites list benefits for asafoetida that come from laboratory or animal work. We do not repeat them, because a result in a laboratory dish does not show what happens in a person, and we do not say asafoetida is proven to do anything.
What this does mean is that food use, in the tiny amounts used in cooking, has a very long history, while concentrated products have not been studied in the way that would let us give you reliable safety guidance.
Safety and interactions
- Food amounts versus supplements. A pinch in a pot of dal is a normal food use. Capsules, tablets and large quantities are a different matter, and we have no confirmed information on them.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. We found no source we checked that covers asafoetida in either. Pregnant and breastfeeding women who use it in ordinary food should keep to food amounts, and should ask a doctor or midwife before using any supplement.
- Babies and children. Hing is sometimes used in home remedies for infants. We found no source confirming that this is safe, so please speak to a paediatrician before giving it to a baby.
- Wheat and other additives. Powdered hing often contains wheat flour or other fillers. This matters for coeliac disease and allergies, and the label should be read.
- Allergies and digestion. Some people find hing causes heartburn, nausea or a strong breath and body odour. Stop and seek advice if you have a reaction.
- Medicines. In its herb and drug interaction digest, NCCIH describes most interactions as theoretical and names warfarin, digoxin and chemotherapy as the medicines needing most care. It does not name asafoetida. If you take any of those, or medicines for blood pressure, diabetes or blood clotting, ask your pharmacist before using concentrated products.
- Contamination. NCCIH notes that some Ayurvedic preparations may contain lead, mercury or arsenic, so choose compound products with care and from a reputable source.
This page is education, not medical advice. Please read our medical disclaimer, see a doctor for any health concern, and consult a registered Ayurvedic practitioner (BAMS in India) before considering any Ayurvedic treatment.
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is hing called in Ayurveda?
The Sanskrit name is hingu, and hing is the Hindi name. It is the dried resin from the roots of Ferula plants, and the tradition describes it as pungent and heating.
↳ Why do Indian cooks add hing to lentils?
Tradition links it with digestion and with foods considered heavy or gas-forming, such as beans and lentils. Cooks also value its savoury flavour, and it stands in for onion and garlic in kitchens that avoid them.
↳ Does hing contain gluten?
Pure resin does not, but most powdered hing is compounded with rice flour, wheat flour or gum arabic. Some products contain wheat, so anyone with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy should check the label.
↳ Is hing safe in pregnancy?
We found no source we checked that covers asafoetida in pregnancy. A pinch in cooked food is ordinary in many households, but please ask your doctor or midwife before using any supplement or larger amounts.
↳ How much hing should I use when cooking?
Cooks use a pinch, roughly the size of a grain of rice or two, fried briefly in hot oil. More makes the dish harsh and bitter. We give no amounts for any health purpose.
Sources: NCCIH: Herb-Drug Interactions, NCCIH: Ayurvedic Medicine in Depth. No dedicated NCCIH, MedlinePlus or LiverTox page on asafoetida was found.