Meet hing, your low-cost garlic alternative in food

Hing is a gum resin from the fennel plant that is found in many Indian dishes. Photo / Getty Images

By Serena Solomon of RNZ

With garlic setting you back $4 a bulb, this spice can be found at your Indian grocer for a fraction of the price.

In the cost of living crisis, even New Zealand garlic at about $4 a bulb starts to feel like a luxury.

Garlic imported from China is significantly cheaper at around $4 for a bag of a dozen bulbs. Then there are garlic powders, pastes and crushed garlic that mash flavour with convenience.

However, there’s another cost-effective alternative that can bring you a punch of garlic that is common in Indian cooking – asafoetida, which is also called hing.

What is hing?

Hing is a gum resin from the fennel plant that is found in many Indian dishes as well as some Middle Eastern dishes. It is known for its potency both in smell and flavour.

The flavour is high on garlic with a hint of onion. The smell is often described as sulfuric, similar to boiled eggs, says Perzen Patel, an Indian-born food writer who is based in New Zealand.

“You would never taste it raw. Definitely, it’s something that needs to be cooked and I’d say it has a slightly funky flavour, but it neutralises once you cook it.”

The spice, often in powdered form, likely isn’t in your typical grocery store, but will definitely be an Indian grocer, according to Chetan Pangam, the executive chef at One80° Restaurant in Wellington.

Hing is a very standard product in Indian pantries and spice shops. Photo / Getty Images

“It’s a part of my pantry both at work and at home and it is a very standard product in our spice shops.”

The spice doesn’t just bring culinary qualities to a dish, but it’s medicinal too. In India, hing is often paired with lentils to reduce the bloating and digestion issues sometimes associated with lentils.

“It’s considered to be one of the best digestives,” says Pangam.

“If you have a bloated stomach, for example, back in the day, a lot of grandmothers would make you some warm water with hing and it will help with your digestion.”

Hing is a prominent ingredient in cuisine made by the millions of Jains in India. Jainism has similarities – and differences – to Hinduism. One of those differences is that Jains exclude roots and vegetables grown underground from their diet, including garlic.

Can it be used instead of garlic in non-Indian dishes?

Hing can technically be a substitute for garlic and is used by those who are allergic to garlic and onions as an alternative. However...

“I don’t think it’s going to be something that will, to the purest, it’s not going to replace garlic,” says Pangam.

If you do try out hing as a garlic substitute, there are some rules you need to follow.

“To use it, you would temper it in oil or ghee. Always add the spices you are using first and once they have tempered, add the hing,” said Ashia Ismail-Singer, a cookbook author.

“It does give an umami, punchy flavour.”

Hing is best used as a base spice when you begin cooking, says Patel. For example, it could work in spaghetti bolognese if you add it early in the process, cooking it well with oil and onions. It wouldn’t work in a pesto because in a typical pesto recipe the garlic is raw.

“...[Hing] would end up giving that bit of funky aroma which might ruin your pesto for you.”

Be wary of subbing hing for garlic when there is minimal cooking time in a recipe, Patel advised.

What quantities should you use?

If you’re making a bolognese that calls for two tablespoons of crushed garlic, try substituting it with half a teaspoon of hing, Pangam suggested.

“If you use a bit too much [garlic], it’s not going to be so off-putting that you’re not going to eat the thing.

“You have to be careful with hing. If you end up putting too much in, the pungency that is going to come through would be far too overpowering.”

Patel suggests a level teaspoon of hing as a substitute for five cloves of garlic.

100 grams of hing costs about $11 or $12. Photo / Getty Images

How much does hing cost?

Both Patel and Pangam said hing could save you money. However, the concentration of hing and different amounts needed compared to garlic make a price comparison challenging.

100 grams of hing costs about $11 or $12. At five grams per serve, that’s 20 serves at 60 cents each. The equivalent of fresh New Zealand garlic is about $1 a serve.

Patel suggested that those who are struggling with the cost of garlic – New Zealand garlic, anyway – visit their local Indian grocer to find great deals on staples such as fresh or shelf garlic paste.

“It’s like a hidden secret.”