Description
Rare! Fresh Bitter Asafoetida tears. Ferula foetida-Asafoetida resin. Afghanistan.
There are 2 types of Asafoetida used in Asia and the Mediterranean, Sweet Asafoetida, used as a spice and condiment for food, and Bitter Asafoetida used for medicine. After purchasing the Sweet Asafoetida, I was so impressed with the quality I decided to try the Bitter Asafoetida. I was not at all disappointed!!
What a unique aroma!! Unmistakeably the aroma of Asafoetida, but with a sweet fragrant twist.
The odd thing is, from an aromatic point of view, Bitter Asafoetida is actually much sweeter than the Sweet Asafoetida! Bitter Asafoetida lacks the sharp pungency of the Sweet variety and has some lovely, candy-like sweet notes
Bitter Asafoetida is from the Ferula Foetida plant and the Sweet Asafoetida from the Ferula Asafoetida plant. Both similar, yet different.
Like sweet Asafoetida, a little goes a long way.
Asafoetida, (Sweet), is often compared in aroma to a blend of sulphur and onions, However, Bitter Asafoetida has a more complex, sweet and rich fragrance profile.
Both an oil infusion and an alcoholic tincture can easily be prepared with this resin, making it an unusual ingredient in perfumes and incense, for medicine and magic.
Like most other resins from the Ferula family, you will find seeds, stems and bits of bark mixed in with the resin. They do not hinder processing and can easily be removed if desired.
Because this resin is fresh, fairly soft and slightly sticky, it would benefit from freezing before attempting to grind it.
“Ferula asafoetida is a herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family. It is oleo gum resin obtained from the rhizome and root of the plant. This spice is used as a digestive aid, in food as a condiment and in pickles. It is used in modern herbalism in the treatment of hysteria, some nervous conditions, bronchitis, asthma and whooping cough. It was at one time employed in the treatment of infantile pneumonia and flatulent colic. The gum resin is antispasmodic, carminative, expectorant, laxative, and sedative. The volatile oil in the gum is eliminated through the lungs, making this an excellent treatment for asthma. The odour of asafoetida is imparted to the breath, secretions, flatus, and gastric eructations. Its properties are antispasmodic, expectorant, stimulant, emmenagogue and vermifuge. Asafoetida has also been used as a sedative. It also thins the blood and lowers blood pressure. It is widely used in India in food and as a medicine in Indian systems of medicine like Ayurveda. Asafoetida has been held in great esteem among indigenous medicines, particularly in the Unani system from the earliest times.”
The preceding paragraph is an excerpt from an excellent article about Asafoetida on NCBI. Rather than repeat or rehash what is already presented so well, I suggest you read the full article here-www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459456/ (You may have to copy and paste the link in your browser.
In Folk Magic traditions, Asafoetida is considered a powerful protective and banishing herb often used in magical incense blends and protective amulets. It is hot in nature and I believe ruled by Mars/Pluto/Scorpio from an Astrological point of view.
It is considered an aphrodisiac in some cultures and used to boost the libido.
Dan
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Lilian Powlowski –
High quality product at great prices, I will def be coming back to this store
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Melvin Spinka –
This is the higher quality asafoetida i have found.
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Daniella Roob –
Thank you so much, Dan, for this amazing resin! It certainly does perform as suggested. All the best, always!
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Ressie Gaylord –
Well packed, looks very lovely. Haven't burned it yet, but the scent from in the package is bitter and kind of smells like a trash can full of onions and strawberries. An odd sweetness is here that is absent in regular asfoetida. Definitely doesn't smell like sweaty gym socks like some low quality regular asfoetida! Try this if you like unique smells! Dan found a very impressive scent here. I'm going to try and see what it mixes with.
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Derrick Wolf –
A little bit goes a LONG way 🙂
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Adan Kertzmann –
Thank you for the lightning fast shipping. I don't find that this asafoetida smells bad at all… in fact there is barely any smell. Maybe it's just me.
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Adalberto Hegmann –
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Mable Wisoky –
Holy balls dude.
Wow. I was NOT anticipating this. That delicious medicinal garlic goodness mixed with a very surprising sweet candy resolve (which hit me when I stepped into the next room over). I did not use much resin on the coal, yet this aroma imprinted my being and living space all day. I could not stop smelling it in my psychic memory. It absolutely hit the right physiological notes to balance my liver and gall bladder. I have since used it in a therapeutic respiratory accord for seasonal allergies (incense stick style). This one definitely seems to behold a solid spot in my resin medicinals cabinet. Get it while you can.
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Susie DuBuque –
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Marisa Buckridge –
Very nice resin. The scent is somewhat overpowering but it certainly grows on you.
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Ericka Miller –
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Mollie DuBuque –
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Yvonne Rempel –
Excellent product. I always look forward to exploring what this seller has in stock. Thank you!
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Hannah Simonis –
I purchased quite a few items and haven’t had the opportunity to try them all out but so far the mastic and green hojari frankincense are amazing. Looking forward to trying the asafoetida as well as everything else. I’m glad I stumbled upon this shop. Will definitely be buying from again soon. Thank you!
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Jazlyn Batz –
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Kelly Ledner –
I honestly had no idea what to expect, but bitter it is not! Quite nutty and gourmand for me. This stuff is dense and moist! I’m thrilled with everything I’ve purchased, and I really can’t wait to purchase some new options to add to my incense blends. Thank you so much
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Brenda McClure –
Very good as expected fantastic
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Dane Lebsack –
Thank you for the item
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Wilbert Leffler –
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Marjolaine Blick –
good scents, good service, will return
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Charlie Waters –
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Elissa Rippin –
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Katelin Kutch –
This arrived in great shape and I'm looking forward to trying it soon. Thank you very much for filling my order so quickly!
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Amely Walter –
One of the greatest sellers for high quality and rare incense materials from around the world, always with well known origins. Kind and dutiful, I appreciate this contact for many years and I never want to miss it. THANKS!
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Jude Tromp –
Very unique smell to this
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