How A Substitute For An Extinct Herb Became A Crucial Spice In Indian Cooking

Way back when, in 631 B.C., a city called Cyrene was founded by Greece. Situated in the northeastern part of modern day Libya, Cyrene eventually became a realm of the Roman Empire. Occupying the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea, the city was flush with natural resources; among them, a wild, yellow-flowered herb called silphium. While it didn't look particularly enticing the way lavender or hibiscus might, silphium became the most useful and in-demand herb in the region, and beyond.

It could be eaten fresh, used as a preservative, fed to animals, and was incredibly beneficial in the realm of medicine. It was so desired and hard to come by that purveyors began to sell another herb called asafoetida as authentic silphium, at exorbitant prices. Historians believe that Macedonian king, Alexander the Great, came across an asafoetida plant on his journeys through Asia and — believing it was coveted silphium — took some with him to India. This is how India was introduced to asafoetida, often referred to as hing. Although India is still a huge consumer of the plant, it isn't widely grown natively, but is mostly imported from Iran, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. 

Asafoetida is believed to be a "cousin" to silphium, and is known to be extremely pungent with a flavor reminiscent of onions and garlic. A pinch is really all that's needed in any given recipe. You'll find it in many dishes on Indian restaurant menus, where it's commonly added to curries, rice and dal dishes, dosas, soups, and chutneys.

You could compare the silphium of the 7th century with something like black Périgord or white Alba truffles in the 21st century. Aside from its high price tag and rarity, it only successfully grew in the wild. Attempts to cultivate it yielded unsatisfactory results. Because of this, harvesting was highly regulated, with those who oversaw production taking extreme measures to keep both people and animals out. (Shepherds would let their flocks binge on silphium because it made their meat much more valuable). Despite these efforts, overharvesting and overgrazing made silphium vanish from Earth within just 100 years of its discovery.

Botanists are still puzzled over this intriguing plant today, with some believing that it was actually a hybrid plant that would grow back just fine if left in its initial growing spot, but would mutate if the seeds were planted elsewhere. Others believe that it is hiding in plain sight, but remains unrecognizable based on the early descriptions and depictions from Ancient Cyrene.

Unless it's successfully unearthed, modern man may never know what silphium actually tasted like — and will have to be content with substituting asafoetida (or hing), which even the Romans did. For the most part, it is sold ground and you can find it in many groceries and specialty stores. Of course, it might be easiest to hit up Rani Brand ground asafetida on Amazon to taste a bit of that ancient spice.