Asafetida

You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Grant Barrett.

And I’m Martha Barnette.

Well, Grant, I don’t need to tell you what that song was.

Yeah, that’s my family song, actually.

Mine, too, from the Beverly Hillbillies.

And I wanted to get you back in the mood for a discussion of asafidity.

Asafidity.

Remember, Brad from Grapevine, Texas, called to tell us he’d heard asafidity mentioned in an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies.

And we talked with him about the fact that asafoetida is a stinky substance, and there’s this old folk tradition of wearing it in a bag around your neck in hopes of avoiding the flu.

And I got all excited about this call because my father himself was a proud hillbilly from North Carolina, and he used to tell me stories of being made to wear an asafoetidae bag back when he was growing up in the hills.

So we have the episode right here.

Here’s Jethro telling the Clampett family that their friend Miss Jane has a mysterious ailment.

Oh, she’s got something called sick benefits.

Yes, sir.

Well, I called her apartment this morning to find out could she come to supper tonight.

And she says, I’m sick in bed, Jethro.

And I says, well, Granny will come on over and doctor you.

And she says, well, you tell Granny there’s already a doctor on the way because I got sick benefits.

I bet you something like a sick headache or maybe a sick stomach.

I reckon it’s worse than that, Allie, because this is catching.

Is that a fact?

Yes, sir.

Miss Jane says pretty near everybody that works down at the bank has got sick benefits.

Yes, because they don’t wear asafidity bags.

We loved Granny.

I felt like she should be related to me.

She probably is, right?

So there’s our evidence from the Beverly Hillbillies.

But I should also point out that many listeners wrote to tell us that asafetida, that stinky substance, has another use.

From Cary, North Carolina, Anu Kapalavai wrote to say,

Asafoetida is a very common ingredient in Indian cooking,

Especially in the southern part of India where I come from.

It’s supposed to help counterbalance the effects of some spices and gassy foods.

It’s also used as a home remedy.

We’d mix a small pinch of the powder into a cup of diluted buttermilk with some salt

And drink it to relieve stomach cramps.

And lots of other listeners wrote to tell us that if you cook down asafoetida

With all those spices, it actually tastes really good.

And you know, I should have mentioned that

When we did that last call

Because my wife gave me a cookbook

Of easy-to-make Indian recipes

Because we’re both huge fans of Indian food

And a number of the great sauces in there

That I’m dying to try require asafoetida.

Well, I’m free Friday night if you want to whip it up.

All right, I’ll put on the basmati

And get the potatoes cooking.

We’ll go.

Tell us your stories about language and food.

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