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Asafoetida — known across India as 'Hing' — is a pungent resinous gum obtained from the taproot of giant fennel species (Ferula assa-foetida and Ferula foetida). In its raw state the oleo-gum-resin has an overpoweringly sulphurous odour, which on cooking in hot oil mellows into a smooth, leek-and-garlic-like umami aroma. This unique 'flavour transformation' makes Hing indispensable in Indian, and especially Jain and vegetarian, cooking where onion and garlic are avoided.

India is the world's single largest consumer and processor of asafoetida, accounting for an estimated 40–50% of global consumption. Historically, India does not grow the Ferula plant at commercial scale — the raw resin (kachi/pure hing) is imported chiefly from Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan, then processed (compounded) within India. Domestic processors blend the imported resin with edible binders — most commonly wheat flour, rice flour, gum arabic and edible starch — to create the standardised 'compounded asafoetida' (Bandhani Hing) sold worldwide.

A notable recent development is India's first commercial cultivation of Ferula assa-foetida, launched by CSIR-IHBT in the cold desert regions of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh from 2020 onward. While still nascent and years from large-scale yield, this initiative aims to reduce India's near-total import dependence for raw resin. For exporters, the value-added product remains the India-compounded Hing — a category in which Indian processors hold unmatched formulation expertise and global brand recognition (e.g. LG, Vandevi, Ramdev).