On Food and Cooking

spring. The spice is obtained after the new
foliage begins to turn yellow. The top of the
root is exposed, the foliage pulled out, and the
root surface periodically scraped to wound it
and gather the protective sap that collects in
the wound. The sap slowly hardens and
develops a strong, sulfurous aroma
reminiscent of human sweat and washed-rind
cheese (p. 58). Sometimes the resin is aged in
fresh goat or sheep skin to augment its aroma,
which is so strong that the resin is commonly
ground and diluted for sale with gum arabic
and flour. The aroma of asafoetida is due to a
complex mixture of sulfur compounds, a
dozen identical with volatiles in the onion
family, and a number of less common di-, tri-,
and tetrasulfides. Asafoetida can give the
impression of onions, garlic, eggs, meat, and
white truffles, and in India is a prominent
ingredient in the cooking of the Jains, who
avoid animal foods and also onion and garlic
(because they contain a bud that would