The British called it “Devil’s Dung.”
You may have seen the headline of this news and wondered what evil is ‘Satan’s Dung’? Let us tell you that ‘Devil’s Dung’ is an important spice used in Indian food, which not only enhances the aroma of your daily dal but also keeps the digestion of the stomach healthy. One name of ‘Asafoetida’ is ‘Devil’s Dung’, the Hindi translation of which is ‘devil’s dung’. Let us tell you why it is called ‘devil’s dung’ and how much India trades with Afghanistan.
India may not have recognised the Taliban government in Afghanistan yet. It may have also closed its embassy there. But while replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, the External Affairs Minister made it clear that trade between the two countries is still going on. At the same time, India is continuously working to rebuild Afghanistan and provide humanitarian assistance.
This is how ‘devil’s manure’ is prepared
The city of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh has a special recognition for its Asafoetida. The Asafoetida here also has the GI tag. But do you know that the material from which Asafoetida is prepared is imported to India from Afghanistan?
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Asafoetida comes to India in the form of milk or thick paste. It is somewhat similar to Fevicol, but its colour is light pink. Flour and gum are mixed in this according to a prescribed formula. It is then dried in the sun and then small pieces of asafoetida are prepared. Asafoetida is prepared by grinding it.
The business of ‘devil’s dung’
This asafoetida milk is imported from Afghanistan to India. According to a Money Control report, 90 per cent of the asafoetida imported by India comes from Afghanistan. The remaining 8 per cent comes from Uzbekistan and 2 per cent from Iran. The quantity of this ‘devil’s dung’ that reaches India from Afghanistan is about 1,500 tonnes, while this business is worth around Rs 1,000 crore.
Since the formation of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, many obstacles have arisen in its trade, but still its trade is carried out through different routes. At the same time, India is also trying to produce indigenous asafoetida in Himachal Pradesh. India consumes about 40 percent of the world’s total asafoetida production. In most of the South Asian countries, it is the main spice in the people’s cuisine.
Why is it called “devil’s dung”?
Now the question is why is it called ‘Devil’s Dung’? In fact, when the British came to India, they also wanted to try this spice. Asafoetida has a very pungent taste which if not used in the right proportion can cause a lot of irritation. Seeing its lumpy appearance, the British compared it to Dung Cake. Due to its pungent taste and lumpy appearance, it got the name ‘Devil’s Dung’ or ‘Shaitan Ka Gobar’.
