Best Hing Brands in India - Mishry (Mar 2024)
best hing brands

Best Hing Brands in India: The Best One For Your Tadkas (Mar 2024)

MDH’s Hing is our Top Pick. It added the best flavor to our dal. It is also the most pungent one amongst all the contenders.

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Our reviews are research-based, and all trials and testings are conducted in-house over days and weeks. We have a strict no-free-sample policy to ensure our reviews are fair and impartial.

Native to Iran and Afghanistan, asafoetida is a spice that is obtained from the resin of the Ferula assa-foetida plant and is known for its extremely pungent smell. In India it is also known as Hing or Heeng (हींग). For those who are not accustomed to the strong aroma, the flavor of hing can be a bit overwhelming.

Hing is available in two forms – in its pure form (this is usually a hard, resin block) and in compounded form. Compounded hing is where it’s mixed with wheat to reduce the pungency and make it more consumer friendly.

From using it for its medicinal purposes to adding it to tadkas on dals, hing is a highly used spice in Indian cuisine. Which is why we picked eight brands of compounded hing available around the country to test them for their flavor and pungency. After conducting two rounds of taste tests, we chose MDH Hing (Top Pick) as one of the best hing brands in India. The flavor it imparts to the dal using minimal quantity is superlative. We Also Recommend Everest Hing.

Did you know? Hing is sometimes called Devil’s dung because of its smell and taste.

Here is all that you need to know about our review of the best hing brands. 

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*Based on Mishry's internal reviews and ratings

1. Available Variants

Asafoetida is of two types by nature – 

  • Hing Kabuli Sufaid (Milky white asafoetida)
  • Hing Lal (Red asafoetida)

For consumers, it can be available in its pure form or compounded form as described above.

2. Available Sizes

Available sizes of compounded hing in India are – 

  • 10 grams
  • 25 grams
  • 50 grams
  • 100 grams

3. Price Range

For a 25 gram bottle of hing, the average price is between Rs 40/- to Rs 60/-. Some brands may be priced higher or lower than this. This is an average estimate. 

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4. Shelf Life

The shelf life can vary between 12-24 months.

5. Packaging

Compounded hing is packed in small plastic jars and is sealed shut. Some brands may have a revolving cap to ease the sprinkling of hing.

Due to their extremely high pungency, these are usually bottled in air-tight containers.

Quick Comparison of The Best Hing Brands

Here is a tabular comparison of all the brands of hing we reviewed for their price, net weight, shelf life and main ingredients. All that you need to know about the best hing brands review – 

Brand Buy Now On Amazon Buy Now On Flipkart 
MDH Add To Cart
Everest Add To Cart Add To Cart
Patanjali Add To Cart Add To Cart
Aachi Add To Cart
Ramdev Add To Cart
Catch Add To Cart
LG Add To Cart
Hamdard
hing brands we reviewed
The brands of hing we reviewed.

Our Review Factors

To review the best hing brands we prepared a basic skeleton of the process. Our review process was a simple one and we divided it into two broad stages – 

Stage 1: Dry inspection

The dry inspection stage included us gauging the ingredients, packaging, label information and appearance of the hing. 

Stage 2: Blind Test (Aroma)

During this stage, we were presented with hing samples one by one in a small petri dish to test it for its aroma and pungency. The name of the brand was unknown.

Stage 3: Mishry Secret Sauce – Dal tadka taste test

Hing is primarily used in India to add to dal tadkas, so testing it for a tadka was of prime importance. We tasted the dal with hing jeera tadka to check which dal has the best aroma of hing and which one imparts the best flavour out of the eight brands being reviewed. 

For this, we boiled arhar dal with turmeric and salt. The dal was then equally divided into eight portions. Each dal was topped with a simple hing-jeera tadka. In ½ tsp Amul ghee, we added ⅛ tsp hing and ⅛ tsp jeera. We standardized the amount of hing used because this also helped us gauge the potency.

best hing review process
Our hing review in process - Tadkas with hing, jeera and ghee on arhar dals.

Our review parameters are – 

1. Ingredients

The main ingredients of a compounded hing are – Wheat flour, Edible gum, and Asafoetida. Most brands also mention the percentage of wheat flour used in the hing. We checked all the brands for these. 

2. Aroma + Pungency

The characteristic smell of hing is often described as sulphuric. It’s not something that is considered very pleasant or aromatic. In its uncooked form it’s much more pungent but it reduces significantly once it’s added to hot oil/to a dish. 

We checked all the brands for their pungency and the aroma they add to a simple dal.

3. Flavor

Hing imparts an umami flavor to the planiest of dishes, especially a dal. While most people might be reluctant to try this out around the world, most Indians understand the depth of flavor, almost a layer of savoriness this adds.

We were looking for the dal with the best, most pronounced hing flavor.

4. Appearance

Fine powder, granulated or a mix of both? Is the color light or dark? 

5. Potency + Value For Money

We added the same quantity of hing to all the dals to check the potency. How much of hing is needed to make a bowl of dal significantly flavorful? This in turn also helped us check if the brand is value for money.

Best Hing Brands in India – Detailed Review

1. MDH Super Hing – Mishry Top Pick

MDH’s Hing comes in a small cylindrical white plastic bottle. The hing is not a fine powder, but has bigger granules in comparison (see picture).

The pungency is the highest in MDH. While this is the most expensive hing amongst all the contenders, the fact that only a small quantity is required to impart a significant flavor makes it worthwhile.

mdh hing packaging
MDH Hing comes in a white cylindrical pack.
mdh hing granules in bowl
MDH Hing has bigger, coarser granules.
closer look at mdh hing
Closer look at the MDH Hing.
  • We liked the strength, aroma and pungency of the hing.
  • Contains only 45% of wheat flour which is comparatively lesser than other brands.
  • Looking for a flavorful, pungent hing for your kitchen? The one by MDH is the best there is in this segment. All you need is half a pinch.

2. Everest Hing Powder – Also Recommended

Everest Hing powder comes in a red plastic bottle with a lid. It is light beige in color and is a mic of small granules and powder. The dal we made with Everest Hing has a medium-high pungency. The flavor is very well-rounded but is slightly lesser than MDH. So potency wise it’s a slight step down from our Top Pick.

everest hing packaging
Everest Hing comes in a red bottle pack.
everest hing in bowl
Everest Hing has a mix of fine powder and coarse granules.
closer look at everest hing
Closer look at Everest Hing.
  • We liked the aroma and flavor it lends to the dal.
  • This is an economical pick.
  • This also contains 45% refined wheat flour.

3. Patanjali Bandhani Hing

Patanjali’s Hing comes in a white wide-mouthed plastic bottle. The quality of the plastic bottle is not as great as the others. The hing is dark beige in color and is a mix of coarse granules and powder.

The hing has a highly pungent aroma, but the umami flavor is reduced in comparison. That said, it does enhance the flavor of the dal.

patanjali hing packaging
Patanjali Hing is packed in a white bottle.
patanjali hing granules in bowl
Patanjali hing is a mix of dark and light granules.
closer look at patanjali hing
Closer look at Patanjali Hing.
  • We liked the pungent aroma.
  • It adds a nice flavor to the dal.
  • The potency is not as much as our winners.

4. Aachi Compounded Asafoetida Powder

Aachi’s Hing comes in a white plastic bottle with a rotating lid. The lid has a marked opening, which rotates and helps sprinkle the hing without using a spoon. The hing is light beige in color and is a fine powder with a few coarse particles.

This hing has medium pungency and it will definitely take a bit more quantity to impart the desirable flavor.

aanchi hing packaging
Aachi Hing comes in a white bottle with a rotating lid.
closer look at aachi hing
Closer look at Aachi Hing.
  • Packaging is convenient.
  • The hing imparts a pleasant flavor to the dal.
  • Pungency is medium.
  • This hing isn’t as potent as our winners.

5. Ramdev Strong Brand Hing

Ramdev Hing comes in an orange plastic bottle. The color is beige and we could see tiny dark brown granules. It is a mix of fine-coarse powder. 

The pungency level is high, but within the standardized quantity we added to the tadka, this wasn’t as flavorful. You will definitely need more hing to flavor the dish.

ramdev hing packaging
Ramdev Hing comes in an orange-red pack.
ramdev hing in bowl
Ramdev Hing is finely powdered.
closer look at ramdev hing
Closer look at Ramdev Hing.
  • The pungency level is high.
  • This isn’t as potent as our winners.

6. Catch Compounded Hing

Catch’s Hing comes in a yellow bottle with a red lid. The hing has a dark beige color with smaller granules (when compared to MDH). Catch did not win because it has a very low pungency and it failed to impart any hing-like flavor to the dal.

catch hing packaging
Catch hing comes in a red and yellow bottle.
catch hing granules in bowl
Catch Hing in a bowl.
closer look at catch hing
Closer look at Catch Hing.
  • Low pungency of the hing.
  • Low potency and the fact that it failed to impress us flavor wise.

7. LG Compounded Asafoetida Powder

LG’s Hing powder comes in a white bottle with a rotating lid, similar to Aachi. The fine powder is light beige in color. Even though LG has high pungency, it did not lend a natural hing flavor to the dal.

lg hing packaging
LG's Hing comes in a white bottle with a rotating cap.
closer look at lg hing
Closer look at LG's Hing powder.
  • This has a high pungency.
  • It has the lowest flour percentage.
  • It does not enhance the flavor of the dal.

8. Hamdard Hing Powder

Hamdard’s Hing powder comes in a yellow plastic bottle with a flap lid from which you can sprinkle the hing directly. This is a fine powder and is light beige in color.

It did not win our review because of its peculiar aroma that wasn’t very hing-like. It’s definitely very low on pungency and doesn’t impart a good flavor to the dal. 

hamdard hing packaging
Hamdard Hing is packed in a red-white bottle.
hamdard hing in bowl
Hamdard Hing is a fine powder.
closer look at hamdard hing
Closer look at Hamdard Hing.
  • The aroma is not very hing-like.
  • Low pungency.
  • It doesn’t enhance the flavor of the dal in any way.

Our Top Picks & Recommendations

Why did we choose MDH as our Top Pick? Why do we Also Recommend Everest Hing?

A good hing powder should be pungent and turn the dish flavorful using even the smallest quantity. We chose MDH as our Top Pick because it fulfilled both those points. Even though it’s the most expensive out of all the brands, the fact that only a little amount was needed to flavor a bowl of dal makes it high in potency and thus value for money.

We Also Recommend Everest Hing as it is an economical pick. This brand also does a good job of flavoring the dal wonderfully. The pungency is a bit lower than MDH.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some interesting FAQs on best hing brands.

Hing is known for its digestive benefits, so yes, consuming hing in moderation is not a bad practice.

No. None of the brands contain any preservatives.

The smell of raw hing is so strong and overwhelming, that it cannot be consumed in its pure form. For it to become edible, it is mixed with flour. In some places refined wheat flour is used, while some use rice flour.

As per our review MDH is the best hing brand. It has the highest pungency amongst all the brands and very little is required to make a simple dal shine.

They all come in small plastic jars that are air-tight. Make sure you close the lid securely.

Final Words

MDH Hing is pungent and potent, making it our Top Pick. All you need is a small pinch and your dal will be bursting with flavor. It is also the most expensive one amongst all the contenders. We Also Recommend Everest Hing because it’s economical and lends a delicious flavor to a plain dish. 

Do you use hing often in your kitchen? If yes, what do you use it for apart from tadkas?

Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.

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