Asafoetida — "hing" in Indian kitchens — is a dried gum-resin tapped from the thick taproot of giant fennel species in the genus Ferula, sold most often as a pale-yellow to ochre powder. Straight from the jar it is notorious: a powerful sulfurous reek of rotten onion and stale garlic earned it the names "devil's dung" and "stinking gum." Yet a mere pinch bloomed for a few seconds in hot oil or ghee transforms completely, mellowing into a smooth, savoury, leek-and-garlic umami depth. It is a cornerstone of Indian cooking — indispensable in the onion- and garlic-free dishes of Jain and many Brahmin and South Indian households — and a traditional digestive carminative valued for taming the gas of lentils and beans.