# What is this pungent Indian spice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2009, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274 "2009-10-19T02:43:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/21 "2009-12-09T18:06:47Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > It is cardamom! I have narrowed down the spices and have been paying attention to the ingredients in the ethnic foods I eat. > > In mexican foods, it is cilantro. I dunno, but to me they taste kind of similar. > > Man, cardamom is a strange spice. If there is a such thing as something tasting “creepy”, cardamom is it. > > Case closed. 🙂 Stay away from chai tea at Indian restaurants then, [Cardamom is one of the primary flavors](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai#Spices) in spice tea. If you like Chai tea, then you may not have a problem with cardamom flavor, but with how it was presented in these dishes. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mike\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Fun)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/22 "2009-12-10T00:30:38Z")
If you think cumin smells like armpit, try some asafoetida. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/23 "2009-12-10T02:42:49Z")
I’ve always described cumin as the “gym shoes smell”. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/24 "2009-12-10T05:33:48Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > It was actually a friend’s elderly mother who described the taste of cumin as the taste of “armpit odour”. To me that really captures it, and I love the stuff. :eek: Hah! That’s how I describe it as well! It just smells exactly like stinky pits! I also love, love, love it. But then I am also a big fan of “stinky feet cheese” better known to the rest of the world as Kasseri (an aged hard Greek cheese quite similar to parmesan or asiago). ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/25 "2009-12-10T05:47:18Z")
anise stars, cardamom, saffron, and coriander together make my rice taste more like Indian restaurant rice ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/26 "2009-12-12T02:12:11Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Turmeric is another common spice. It’s a bit strong, but not too offensive IMO. > > Coriander and cilantro are the same thing, and a lot of people hate the taste. Supposedly it’s a genetic thing, some people are just predisposed to taste something bad about it. It’s often described as “soapy.” Coriander usually refers to the seeds (in the US anyway) and cilantro to the leaves. Darn **Pulkyamell** beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![Diamonds02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Diamonds02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamonds02)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/27 "2010-05-10T01:27:41Z")
My bad, it is actually cilantro. I’m 99% sure this time. From what I heard, it’s a spice that people either love or hate. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/28 "2010-05-10T01:35:02Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > My bad, it is actually cilantro. I’m 99% sure this time. > > From what I heard, it’s a spice that people either love or hate. I was going to say – cardamom is sweeter in taste than cilantro/coriander – you wouldn’t be mixing them up, especially if its the same taste that you’re tasting in Mexican food. Cilantro/coriander sounds about right. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/29 "2010-05-10T02:11:16Z")
FYI, the New York Times ran an [article](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html) last month on why some people can’t stand cilantro. The chemicals that cause some people to dislike it are called aldehydes and they can be mostly eliminated if you crush the leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/30 "2010-05-10T17:33:39Z")
> [@Mike\_Fun](#): > > If you think cumin smells like armpit, try some asafoetida. Well, anything that looks like it translates to “fetid ass” may be a problem for the tastebuds. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/31 "2010-05-10T18:35:40Z")
asafoetida is delicious, but only in small amounts. BTW it’s also known as “devil’s dung” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/32 "2010-05-10T21:26:10Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > asafoetida is delicious, but only in small amounts. BTW it’s also known as “devil’s dung” 🙂 Close enough. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274/34 "2023-01-12T20:53:52Z")
Bumped. Hing’s getting some more attention these days: > **[Devil's dung or dinner delight? The story behind hing, one of India's most...](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hing-indian-food-intl-hnk/index.html)** > > Asafoetida, aka hing, is a mainstay of Indian cooking. But not everyone can appreciate this challenging flavor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-pungent-indian-spice/514274.md?page=1)