Asafoetida

(হিং, हींग, асафетида or şeytantersi)

Typically works as a flavor enhancer, asafetida is the world’s most repulsive spice. Used along with turmeric, it is a standard component of Indian cuisine, particularly in lentil curries, such as dal, as well as numerous vegetable dishes. It is widely used in South Indian and Maharashtrian cuisine, which is mainly vegetarian, and is often used to harmonize sweet, sour, salty and spicy components in food. Asafoetida is a dried latex, which is exuded from the tap root of several species of Ferula, a perennial herb. Native to the deserts of Iran, mountains of Afghanistan, it is now mainly cultivated in nearby India.