Perungayam is Ferula assa-foetida, asafoetida — the foul-then-savoury gum that Tamil tadkas call perungayam and Hindi kitchens call hing. It is a resin from a desert umbellifer, not a South Indian weed. Compounded “hing” in a plastic box is often this resin plus gum and flour. Read the label.
- Botanical name
- Ferula assa-foetida L.
- Family
- Apiaceae
- Tamil
- Perungayam
- Hindi
- Hing
- Sanskrit
- Hiṅgu
- Parts used
- Oleo-gum-resin from the root
- Habit
- Taprooted umbellifer of dry West Asia; the spice is a gum-resin
- Last updated
- 2026-10-30
How to recognise Perungayam
Linnaeus published Ferula assa-foetida. The family is Apiaceae. It is a tall, taprooted perennial of dry hills: finely cut leaves, a massive umbel, and a root that, when cut, yields a milky juice that dries to a brown, sulphurous resin.
The resin is sold as tears or a block, grey-white inside when fresh, darkening, with an allium-sulphur smell that cooks into savoury. That smell is why people say it replaces onion and garlic in some kitchens.
Tamil perungayam, Hindi hing and Sanskrit hiṅgu are the names. English asafoetida (from assa foetida, “stinking mastic”) is this gum. Other Ferula species yield related resins (galbanum is a cousin story).
Almost every Indian tin travelled from Iran or Afghanistan. A “grown in Tamil Nadu” hing story is a reason to doubt the mill.
Compounded hing (resin + gum arabic + rice flour) is the everyday Indian article and should say it is compounded. Pure tears are a different strength and price.
A pinch should still smell of sulphur. A scentless yellow powder is starch.
The living plant is not a Tamil hedge. Do not identify a local umbellifer as hing because it smells odd.
Spelling varies (assa-foetida, assafoetida, asafetida). Commercial hing is mostly this species, though related Ferula resins also reach the mills.
A plastic box of yellow compounded powder can still be this resin if the mill names Ferula assa-foetida and the pinch still stinks when opened. A scentless box is starch with a memory of hing.
Traditional use of Perungayam
South Asian food
A pinch in hot oil is cuisine, especially in lentil and vegetable tadkas and in kitchens that avoid onion and garlic.
Tamil, Gujarati, Hindi and Jain kitchen practice
Ayurveda and Unani
Hiṅgu is a pungent resin in those lists. Historical digestive headings are not a modern claim.
Traditional headings
Modern notes on Perungayam
Disulphide chemistry is why the raw smell is infamous and the cooked smell is savoury. A pinch and a “hing capsule” are not interchangeable.
The practical modern issue is flour-heavy compounded powder sold as if it were tears.
Perungayam safety
A pinch in a tadka is the normal use. Pure resin is stronger. Essential-oil experiments are not a tadka.
Umbellifer allergies exist. People who avoid sulphur-smelling foods already know this jar.
Infants should not be given hing from a grandmother story as if it were a licensed drop.
Ecology and sourcing
Root tapping kills or badly damages the plant. Wild Ferula harvest is a conservation and livelihood story in its home range, not a Tamil backyard.
Related plants
Also in Apiaceae
Questions about Perungayam
Is hing a Tamil plant?
The kitchen is Tamil. The taproot is West and Central Asian. India imports the resin.
What is the Tamil name of Ferula assa-foetida?
Perungayam.
Sources
- Ferula assa-foetida L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q111185 (Ferula assa-foetida)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.