Asafoetida is the dried latex (gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula, perennial herbs growing 1 to 1.5 m tall. They are part of the celery family, Umbelliferae. The plants are native to the deserts of Iran and mountains of Afghanistan where substantial amounts are grown. India had thriving commerce with both countries from time immemorial. Afghanistan, in particular, has connections even to our Mahabharata with Ghandari hailing from Gandhar region, today’s Kandahar. Another connection Himachal has with Mahabharata is the Kangra Fort. Read more about it here.

Hing, however blissful it makes our food, has been a huge burden on the exchequer with almost USD 200 million dollars worth of Hing imported every year. This prompted agencies in India to think of alternatives. A recent project by the CSIR-IHBT has given India a chance to taste the spice cultivated in its own land. Based in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, the CSIR-IHBT has planted 800 saplings of ferula asafoetida, which recently were harvested, laying the foundation of Hing independence. CSIR Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology at Palampur has done some amazing work over the years including river and mountain stream rejuvenation in Meghalaya and many other Himalayan states of India. Rakkh Resort in Palampur has also undertaken a smaller venture of rejuvenating and preserving the local water sources and the Pan Chakkis that depend on these water sources.