[Sca-cooks] Asafetida leaves and terebinth berries

[Dama Antonia]

On 29/05/2013 12:50 a.m., galefridus at optimum.net wrote:
> I've been looking at the seasoned salt recipes in Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens, ch. 21. One or two specify an ingredient that isn't in the others, but otherwise they're all pretty similar.
>   
> One ingredient specified by all the recipes is asafetida leaves (NOT the resin/root, which is also specified in all the recipes). Is anyone aware of a source for the leaves? I can find the resin/root no problem at any one of the many South Asian groceries near where I live, but I haven't found the leaves.
> Another ingredient specified in only one of the recipes is terebinth berries -- from what I can tell, the terebinth is related pistachio, but that's about all that I've managed to figure out. Again, any information on sourcing this ingredient would be very helpful.

I ran up against the same problems.  I was able to get asfoetida *resin* 
(aka hing) from my local Indian grocer (along with hulled sesame seeds, 
nigella, and dried pomegranate seeds), but not the leaves.

Terebinth berries are the the fruit of pistacia terebinthus, aka the 
turpentine tree.  According to the research I did at the time, they are 
resinous tasting.  I couldn't find any to buy, anywhere, and wound up 
substituting a few juniper berries.  (Apparently, turpentine was once 
added to gin as a cheap substitute for juniper, so I figure they're 
reasonably similar.)


-- 
Antonia di Benedetto Calvo
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Dulce et decorum est pro patria pavlovam coxi.