What is hing?

Origin: Hing comes from the dried, resinous gum of a giant fennel, which is a perennial native to the Middle East.

Appearance: The raw resin is dark to light brown in its solid form. However, when powdered, it is a lighter more golden brown, especially when mixed with starch or gum arabic to keep it from lumping.

Flavor: By itself, hing is bitter and musky. However, that all changes as soon as it is heated in a fat, such as ghee, where it immediately mellows into a full-bodied pleasant onion-like flavor. Some would even compare it with the pungency of garlic.

Aroma: The pungency of raw hing often comes with a warning, hence the nickname "Devil's Dung." However, you'll find that our hing is of the highest quality and has a pleasant aroma, even raw. We know you'll enjoy Pure Indian Foods hing powder.

Hing is an essential ingredient to Indian cooking. It is used to flavor soups, vegetables, legumes, pickles, relishes, chat masala, curries, and sambhar. It is also used, along with salt, to cure meat and to season fish. For those avoiding onions and garlic, it is a sufficient substitute; and for a region that has a proportionately large vegetarian population, it also adds the subtle super-savor quality of umami to dishes otherwise lacking in "meaty" qualities.

I am a foodie, and I love hing. I remember while growing up in India, my mother would give a tadka of hing in ghee (sauté hing in ghee) and add it to the food she prepared. The whole kitchen would be filled with beautiful aroma. She wouldn’t have to “text” family members to come for the meal; everyone just rushed to the kitchen right away. However, the terrible quality of Hing available in the U.S. market shocked me. I started my search for a good quality hing. It took me several years and multiple International national trips, after which I discovered this lovely fragrant hing. It is up to 10x stronger than other compound hing powders found in the market. You need to use only a pinch. This hing powder reminds me of my childhood memories and all the hearty meals that my mom prepared for our family. Give it a try and let me know how you liked it. If you love hing like I do, then this is the hing powder that you have been looking for.

Your foodie friend,

Sandeep Agarwal, Herbalist