In its natural form this Indian spice is a stinky resin, as readers fluent in both Persian and Latin will already have guessed. The Persian asa points to the resin-like gum, taken from sap extracted from the plant’s stem and roots. The Latin foetida indicates the spice’s unpleasant sulphurous odour, which has earned it many more down-to-earth nicknames that can’t be repeated on a family website. Despite the inauspicious origins, asafoetida gives food a lovely oniony flavour, and is thought to aid digestion and reduce flatulence. Try it in lentil dishes or sprinkle on fish or meat before grilling.