How Do You Say Asafoetida (English) Asafetida (American)? (a-sə-ˈfe-tə-də)

A Little Spice of Life
From the Colonel

Asafetida Ferula assafoetida

At the store I have heard some pretty interesting attempts at pronouncing this unusual spice. The spice, asafetida, is a gum resin produced from the roots of the asafetida plant. Throughout the Middle Ages it was used to ward off plague and other diseases. A piece was sometimes hung around the neck to help ward off these things. It was used in much the same way throughout the 20th Century in the South, on children, to ward of colds and the flu. It would be mixed into a foul-smelling paste and hung in a bag around the afflicted child's neck. One of the reasons it may have kept you from coming down with a cold or flu is that no one wanted to come near you, because you smelled so badly. Thus, you weren't able to get their germs.

Because of the plant’s strong sulfurous smell, it has been given some very derogatory names. It has been called, “devil’s dung”, “stinking gum”, and “devil’s herb”. Since this is a family friendly blog, I can’t even translate the French name for you. Let’s just say it isn’t very nice. However, its odor and flavor become much milder and pleasant upon heating in oil or ghee (clarified butter), acquiring a taste and aroma reminiscent of sautéed onion and garlic. Consequently, there are whole segments of the population in the Middle East (those adhering to the Jain religion and others), who do not eat onions or garlic; use asafetida as a substitute for these flavors in their recipes. It is used in most vegetarian and lentil dishes to both add flavor and aroma and reduce flatulence. That’s a lot to ask of a little powder. For those of you that have an allergic reaction to onions and garlic, you might check with your doctor to see if asafetida is a good substitute for you.

Asafetida has been used as a deterrent for deer and other outside yard marauders for a long time. They don’t seem to like the spice. The only exception is the American wolf, which seems to be attracted to the aroma.

While most other countries in the Middle East use asafetida in its powdered form, in India the green parts of the plant are used as a vegetable.

Recipes

Alu Matar
Bajji Vegetable Fries
Spicy Tomatoes with Mushrooms
Spiced Okra









Colonel De Stewart

Spice University - Nigella

A Little Spice of Life
From the Colonel

Nigella sativa

There is a lot of confusion about the name of this spice. Nigella seeds are also known as kalonji, black cumin, black caraway or black onion seeds. They are the tiny, tear-drop shaped seeds of a small plant whose beautiful flowers have been known for a long time as Love-In-A-Mist. To make matters worse the seeds are sometimes confused with black sesame seeds which have a similar size and color. In an effort to clear up some of the confusion, let me point out that there really is a black cumin seed (kala jeera) and some onion seeds are very similar, but they are not nigella seeds and would not taste the same in a dish. True onion seeds tend to have little, if any, flavor and the flavor that they do have tends to be rather unpleasant.

Nigella’s main application area is Turkey, Lebanon and Iran. From Iran, nigella usage spread to Northern India, particularly Punjab and Bengal, where the spice is mostly used for vegetable dishes. Their dusty jet black color and earthy, distinct onion flavor is an essential part of Panch Phoran (Indian Five Spice), a Bengali spice mixture.

The black seeds taste oniony yet some say they taste like oregano crossed with pepper. Most people use it as a "pepper" in recipes with pod fruit, vegetables, salads and poultry. Because of nigella seeds crunchy texture, it is sprinkled over soft tandoor-baked breads, such as naan, as is done in Northern India. While the seeds are used as a spice in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, in the Balkan region it is sometimes used with or instead of peppercorns in a pepper mill.

Recipes

Bengali Fish Curry
Potatoes With Crushed Nigella Seeds
Naan with Nigella Seeds










Colonel De Stewart