Devil’s Dung. Teufelsdreck. Dyvelstrack. Seytantersi.
I just love these names. I’m especially partial to tuefelsdreck because it sounds so Yiddish.
Asafoetida, from the Persian word for resin (asa) and the Latin word for a strong sulfurous odor (foetida).
This is what my daughter brought home to add to her Indian cuisine.
Of course she brought it home in powdered form, but the bottle had spilled in my car and on my kitchen table. Talk about your Merde du Diable! We wrapped the stuff in three layers of plastic and stuck it into an airtight container, but we could still smell it - God, now I’ve got to get my car detailed. How embarrassing!
She planned to fly home with it, but it stunk so bad in her suitcase she was afraid homeland security would detain her. Then she asked me to ship it for her, but, uh, no way. Not unless I want the FBI banging down my door.
Asafoetida is the powdered root of a giant fennel. Alexander the Great purportedly brought it back to Europe. In China it’s used as a cure for influenza - apparently it can prevent and treat the swine flu. How do you like those apples? The spice is used for numerous medical conditions in India and Asia.
Raw, the stuff is rank, the odor pervasive - it contaminates the very air you breathe. Supposedly when you cook with it, asafoetida develops a smooth leek or mild garlic flavor.
I wouldn’t know. Big olfactory chicken that I am, I tossed the broken bottle. I did buy her a new jar from The Spice House, to be shipped directly to her.
So, for your New Year’s factoid pleasure - asafoetida. I dare ya! If you cook with it, I want to hear all about it.
Ooh, maybe I’ll sprinkle some in my neighbor’s yard! I bet I can dig the broken jar out of the garbage.
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I just went through the annual ritual of the black eyed peas and now you want me to eat stinky weed? Oh no, not a chance.
I am laughing so hard right now.
Ha Ha Ha, I say sprinkle on the neighbors property.
LoL. I recognized Teufelsdreck immediately as German. I wonder how similar German and Yiddish are then. Hmm. It is pretty amazing though the amount of weeds you can cook with and boil to make tea. Happy New Year, Julia.
Wow, who’d a thought. You’re a walking encyclopedia. Hmm, I like the idea about the neighbor…..
I’ve grown dill in my garden, but not fennel. I wonder if the regular plant is stinky, too, or just the powdered root? Regular fennel has a anise flavor, which I love. But that root sounds…….gross! No thanks!
Teufel is devil right? When we did a ton of Indian we had some. foil, THEN gling film, then double ziplocks. Febreeze????? And I am all for the neighbor’s yard being inundated. S
Yes, Steph, teufel is devil. So what did it taste like when cooked?
Penny - supposedly the whole plant stinks. I wouldn’t mind tasting the cooked version, but I’d have to leave the house during the cooking process.
Sandra -
I know, Delilah, cool, huh! German and Yiddish are very similar. Yiddish is like low German - a mix of German and Hebrew.
Thanks, Amber - I’ll mix it with dirt so they won’t notice the white powder!
Yes, Jaye, stinky weed! I have never, in my entire life, eaten black eyed peas and I love beans - my favorite food. There’s something about the way black eyed peas smell that I don’t like.
Asafoetida, or as we say fetid and as the dictionary says Offensively malodorous = next door neighbour, get in in there….
Damn, Tom. Talked to the wife today. She says she’ll keep her husband on a leash, but I don’t expect any improvement.