India, April 4 -- The spice hing, which people call asafoetida, functions as a basic ingredient in Indian kitchens because people use it to create strong scents and improve their digestive systems.

In Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, Asafoetida is more than a kitchen spice. It is a steady trade that moves through wholesale markets, processing units, packaging lines, and transport routes year-round.

An appetizer or an abhorrent? A medicine or a pesticide? Asafoetida sounds innocent enough – it’s a wild fennel plant native to Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan. The resin from its roots is used in ...