This is not a food thread

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#152697 - 12/26/05 02:26 PM This is not a food thread
Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Registered: 09/06/00 Posts: 2788 Loc: Seattle, Washington, USA	As I labour in the spice mines of East Indian cooking, I have come across a curious one, made of a resinous gum extract from the rhizomes of a palm tree. It has a strong and bitter taste but, when cooked with other ingredients, produces a flavour a bit like onions and/or garlic and with the nose of a truffle. Some sources call it asafetida and others asafoetida. Why? And which is better?
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#152698 - 12/26/05 03:01 PM Re: This is not a food thread
sjmaxq Carpal Tunnel Registered: 07/20/03 Posts: 3230 Loc: Te Ika a Maui	Quote: As I labour in the spice mines of East Indian cooking, I have come across a curious one, made of a resinous gum extract from the rhizomes of a palm tree. It has a strong and bitter taste but, when cooked with other ingredients, produces a flavour a bit like onions and/or garlic and with the nose of a truffle. Some sources call it asafetida and others asafoetida. Why? And which is better? You didn't mention its awful odour?! Call it hing (heeng) - it's much easier to say, and the name will be more easily recognisable to most Indians, should you discuss your culinary creations with them. Interestingly, some Brahmins will not eat onions or garlic, and use hing as a substutitute. A friend from Poona informed me that hing "helps you fart less", and it is true that one of the main reasons for its use in Indian cooking is as a digestive aid. Its preparation and use are discussed at some length in this thread from somewhere lese: http://bollywhat.com/forum/index.php?topic=6884.0 _________________________ noho ora mai http://maxqnzs.com/References.html
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#152699 - 12/27/05 08:43 AM Re: Teufelsdreck und merde du diable
zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel Registered: 08/13/05 Posts: 3269 Loc: R'lyeh	From the taxonymic nomeclatura Ferula asafoetida. The variance is probably due to the same reason that some write foetus instead of fetus. The extra panache the old Latin diphthong gives. (/Oj/ over /i:/ ~ /E/.) The etymology of the Persian asa 'resin' and Latin foetida 'fetid'. _________________________ Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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#152700 - 12/28/05 08:26 PM Re: Teufelsdreck und merde du diable
Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Registered: 09/06/00 Posts: 2788 Loc: Seattle, Washington, USA	It strikes me as passing odd that (1) a Persian bit would be grafted onto a Latin bit to make an English word and (2) that anything designed to be eaten would contain the word/root for "stinky." On second thought, I think there was a children's book years ago called something like "The Stinky Cheese Man."
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#152701 - 12/28/05 08:29 PM Re: Teufelsdreck und merde du diable
sjmaxq Carpal Tunnel Registered: 07/20/03 Posts: 3230 Loc: Te Ika a Maui	Quote: It strikes me as passing odd that (1) a Persian bit would be grafted onto a Latin bit to make an English word and (2) that anything designed to be eaten would contain the word/root for "stinky." For asafoetida NOT to contain the word fetid would be gravely dishonest, imo. _________________________ noho ora mai http://maxqnzs.com/References.html
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#152702 - 01/16/06 12:34 AM Re: Teufelsdreck und merde du diable
Bingley Carpal Tunnel Registered: 04/09/00 Posts: 3065 Loc: Jakarta	Quote: It strikes me as passing odd ... that anything designed to be eaten would contain the word/root for "stinky." I believe the English name for petai (Parkia speciosa) is stinking bean. I find them revolting and the name well deserved, but this page seems to find them something of a panacea http://www.mail-archive.com/permias@listserv.syr.edu/msg13282.html. For pictures and general culinary information see: http://www.asiafood.org/glossary_2.cfm?wordid=3295 _________________________ Bingley
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#152703 - 01/16/06 09:08 AM Re: Teufelsdreck und merde du diable
belMarduk Carpal Tunnel Registered: 09/28/00 Posts: 2888	It strikes me as passing odd ... that anything designed to be eaten would contain the word/root for "stinky." FS, do you not eat stinky cheese? Thats what folks commonly call blue cheeses.
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#152704 - 01/17/06 01:21 AM Re: Teufelsdreck und merde du diable
Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Registered: 09/06/00 Posts: 2788 Loc: Seattle, Washington, USA	Actually, I do eat a variety of strongly odored cheeses but I don't think I ever referred to any of them as "stinky."
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