Asafoetida, also spelled asafetida, also called hing spice, gum resin prized as a spice in India and Iran, where it is used to flavour curries, meatballs, and pickles. ... Acrid in taste, it emits a strong onionlike odour because of its organic sulfur compounds.Asafoetida is the dried latex (gum oleoresin) a soft brown gum resin having a bitter sharp taste and a strong smell used in cooking especially in Asia