hing
1
8.9
A strong-smelling spice made from dried plant gum used in South Asian cooking
- noun
- /hɪŋ/
- Indian
:
asafoetida
How Pungent
Surface Forms
Etymology
Hing comes from India, from the Hindi hing and the older Sanskrit hingu, words for the same 'resin' — the strong-smelling, sticky part of a plant used in cooking. That's why hing today means the pungent spice that gives a strong smell to food but mostly disappears when you cook it.