Asafoetida (Hing)

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Asafoetida Hing

Asafoetida (Hing)

Hing, scientifically known as Ferula assa-foetida, is widely recognized in the global market under the name of Hing or Asafoetida. The Hing plant has thick and fleshy roots. Its leaves are grassy with a dark green color. The stem of the Hing plant is strong, upright and fibrous, and the roots can reach a diameter of 13cm and penetrate up to 40cm into the soil.

Hing generally grows in dry and mountainous climates such as Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asian countries. The taste of Hing is mostly bitter, and its smell is similar to garlic but much stronger. Hing is harvested during the summer.

Flowering & Resin Extraction

Throughout its entire life cycle, the Asafoetida (Hing) plant produces flowers only once. The inflorescences are yellow in color and appear as compound umbels at the terminal part of the stem.

In late spring, the resin of the Asafoetida (Hing) plant is obtained by cutting or scraping the roots and lower parts of the stem. The extracted resin emits a strong and pungent odor and gradually hardens when exposed to air during mid-summer, forming the product known as Hing.

Varieties of Hing

The lifespan of a Hing plant ranges from 10 to 20 years, and 28 varieties of the Hing (Asafoetida) plant have been identified in Afghanistan. Among these, three types are the most well-known and commercially significant in the country:

1: White Hing – the most common and widely traded type.
2: Red Hing.
3: Chaheer or Rough Hing.

Processed Forms of Hing

All kinds of Hing are processed into three main products: Dona, Sarkash and Shira.

Grain (Dona): This type of Hing comes out naturally in very small amounts from the plant’s stem. It is considered one of the highest quality and rarest types of Asafoetida, clean and free of dirt and debris, usually oval-shaped.
Sarkash (Compressed Resin): Obtained after preparing the plant and making cuts in the lower part of the stem. The resin appears in light brown, dark gray or light brown colors. Its quality is considered lower than Dona.
Resin (Shira): Obtained by cutting the roots and the lower part of the stem. A soft white secretion appears every three days at the cut site, which later hardens into a dark brown resin with a strong aroma.

Hing remains one of the most valuable natural resins due to its unique aroma, traditional uses, and significant role in both culinary and medicinal applications.