Asafetida Absolute
Asafoetida gets its name from the Persian aza, for mastic or resin, and the Latin foetidus, for stinking. It is a gum that is from the sap of the roots and stem of the ferula species, a giant fennel that exudes a vile odour. Early records mention that Alexander the Great carried this “stink finger” west in 4 BC. It was used as a spice in ancient Rome, and although not native to India, it has been used in Indian medicine and cookery for ages. It was believed that asafoetida enhanced singers voices. In the days of the Mughal aristocracy, the court singers Agra and Delhi would eat a spoonful of asafoetida with butter and practice on the banks of the river Yamuna. The bulk of the drug comes from the official plant, which is indigenous to Afghanistan and grows from two to four thousand feet above sealevel. These high plains are arid in winter but are thickly covered in summer with a luxuriant growth of these plants. The essential oil is steam distilled from the oleoresin, an absolute and resinoid are also available.
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| Botanical Name: | Ferula assa-foetida L. |
| Family: | Apiaceae |
| Synonyms: | Asafoetida, gum asafetida, ferula assa-foetida gum oil, devil's dung, food of the gods, giant fennel. |
| See Also: | Asafetida Absolute
Asafetida Resinoid |
| Parts Used: | Resin |
| Extraction Method: | Solvent extracted. |
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| Historical Uses: | In Chinese medicine used to stimulate the nervous system, In India to stimulate the brain |
| Modern Uses: | Some use in treating nervous conditions, such as stress and fatigue, Considered excellant for asthma, bronchitis and whooping cough. |
| Cautions: | Relatively non toxic, and non irritant. |
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