Passion for Paan

‘Paan’ is a preparation combining betel leaf with betel nut (supari or areca nut). It is chewed for its stimulant and psychoactive effects. After chewing, it is either spat out or swallowed. It has become a ritual in our society to offer paan to guests after tea or meals, served on a brass plate or glassware. Traditionally, adults gather with ‘pandani’ (container for paan) along with friends and relatives in their leisure time. Paan is offered at wedding receptions. In fact, no Bangladeshi wedding is complete without ‘mishiti paan’ (sweet paan). It is served at official meetings, too, particularly in Barisal, Sylhet and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. 

Paan is a vital part of Bangladeshi culture. Many people joke that it is the Bengali ‘chewing gum’! In recent times, exclusive paan shops have sprung up across Dhaka city. One of them, called ‘Paan Supari’ offers more than a dozen different mouth-watering varieties. Their names are also interesting, such as Jamai (bridegroom) Paan, Bou (bride) Paan, Ten-o-clock Night Paan, Paan Supari Shona (gold) and Paan Afsana (diabetic). The less expensive ones contain about five to six ingredients. The more expensive ones claim to have added almost 80-100 ingredients, mostly imported from India. In these trendy shops, the cost of a paan varies from Tk25 to Tk225. But a simple paan preparation would cost Tk5 only. 
Usually for chewing, a few slices of the betel nut are wrapped in a betel leaf, often with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime), and may include cinnamon, clove, cardamom, catechu (khoyer), grated coconut  and other spices for extra flavouring. It is then popped into the mouth. As it is chewed, people enjoy the peppery taste, along with the warm feeling and alertness it gives (similar to drinking a fresh cup of coffee).
The dark red colour generated by the combination of paan ingredients when chewed leave bright stains all around when the residue is spit out. This is an unwanted eyesore in many urban areas, although many see it as an integral part of their culture. Once, there used to be metal pikdaan (spittoon) at offices and homes for spitting out chewed paan. 
Paan is a ubiquitous sight in many parts of South and Southeast Asia. The origin and diffusion of paan chewing remains a somewhat unresolved issue. The betel is the leaf of a vine belonging to the piperaceae family. Desi paan, jhaal paan, mitha paan and sanchi paan are common varieties of betel leaves. Desi paan is the most popular. Mitha paan, a sweet variety, is grown in Chittagong, particularly on Moheshkhali island. The best quality betel leaves and betel nuts are grown in Barisal, Khulna and Rajshahi districts. Bangladesh is a major exporter of betel leaves and betel nuts.
Unlike khat/qat of Ethiopia and Yemen, paan is universal. In India, paan is available practically everywhere and is sold in ready-to-chew pouches. I recollect a paan shop in front of a reputed restaurant in New Market in Kolkata where paan is sold almost 24 hours a day with various mouth-tempting masalas. The owner is a Mohammad Rafi fan and melodious Rafi songs of bygone days are played throughout the day.
Paan is a common roadside commodity in Nepal, too. Although not as ubiquitous as in the Terai region, most residents of Kathmandu enjoy paan and it is a common sight at Kathmandu and Bhaktapur durbar squares. 
Betel nut chewing is also very popular in the Maldives. Usually, people prefer to chew thin slices of the dry nut, which is sometimes roasted. Kili, a mixture of areca nut, betel, cloves, cardamom and sugar is sold in small home-made paper pouches. We were served with paan after meals even in posh restaurants.
The culture of chewing paan is very much prevalent in Pakistan, where a paan shop can be found in almost every street and market. During my visit to Lahore, I came across a street called Paan Gali dedicated to paan and its ingredients in the famous Anarkali Bazaar. 
Selling paan is prohibited by law and is frowned upon in Saudi Arabia and in the Persian Gulf countries because of the nuisance created by random spitting of chewed paan. During Hajj, I developed a craving for paan. In Makkah, I was led into a room at a rented building in an alley. Even before I entered, I was overtaken by the aroma of paan masalas. There, I found many of our countrymen indulging in idle gossips and relishing paan. In Medina, I found paan along with betel nuts with or without tobacco being sold from large polythene bags in front of a restaurant crowded with Bangladeshi Hajis, even though paan selling is banned there.
In Vietnam, the areca nut and the betel leaf are such important symbols of love and marriage that the phrase ‘matters of betel and areca’ is synonymous with marriage. I have found betel leaves being used ceremonially in Vietnamese temples. Malay culture and tradition hold betel nut and leaves in high esteem also; we were offered a tray of areca nuts and betel leaves during our visit to a longhouse at Kuching, Sarawak.
Paan has been part of the indigenous culture in the Philippines. I have come across people chewing paan in the kitchen market at Los Banos. Betel chewing has very long tradition in Myanmar. Almost every household has a special lacquerware box for paan (paaner bata), which is offered to any visitor, along with cheroots to smoke and green tea to drink. In Singapore, paan can be found particularly in Little India and Little Bangladesh in the Serangoon area. 
I was surprised to find high consumption of paan in Taiwanese society. Shops are often identified by multicoloured fluorescent lights. Usually, the betel leaf is wrapped around a raw green areca nut. I was equally amazed to find the Timorese relish chewing paan. During my visit to Timor Leste, I found betel leaves, betel nuts and grounded tobacco (proxy for zarda) being openly sold in the markets. The Timorese would spatter their lips and mouth red chewing paan. The good thing is that they have not learned to spit like us. 
However, betel nut is not merely a mild stimulant or a non-offensive after dinner treat
Consumption has many harmful effects on health and is carcinogenic to humans. Various compounds present in the nut, most importantly arecoline, contribute to histologic changes in the oral mucosa. Acute effects of betel chewing include asthma exacerbation, hypertension, and tachycardia. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has found that chewing betel nut causes cancer of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, prostate, cervix and lungs. 
Despite having many harmful effects on human health and in spite of promotional drives to curb the incidence of paan chewing, particularly with tobacco, the passion for paan continues unabated across the planet.
 
Photos: Courtesy, Internet

Passion for Paan

Paan is a preparation combining betel leaf with betel nut (supari or areca nut). It is chewed for its stimulant and psychoactive effects. After chewing, it is either spat out or swallowed. It has become a ritual in our society to offer paan to guests after tea or meals, served on a brass plate or glassware. Traditionally, adults gather with pandani (container for paan) along with friends and relatives in their leisure time. Paan is offered at wedding receptions. In fact, no Bangladeshi wedding is complete without mishiti paan (sweet paan). It is served at official meetings, too, particularly in Barisal, Sylhet and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Paan is a vital part of Bangladeshi culture. Many people joke that it is the Bengali chewing gum! In recent times, exclusive paan shops have sprung up across Dhaka city. One of them, called Paan Supari offers more than a dozen different mouth-watering varieties. Their names are also interesting, such as Jamai (bridegroom) Paan, Bou (bride) Paan, Ten-o-clock Night Paan, Paan Supari Shona (gold) and Paan Afsana (diabetic). The less expensive ones contain about five to six ingredients. The more expensive ones claim to have added almost 80-100 ingredients, mostly imported from India. In these trendy shops, the cost of a paan varies from Tk25 to Tk225. But a simple paan preparation would cost Tk5 only. Usually for chewing, a few slices of the betel nut are wrapped in a betel leaf, often with calcium hydroxide (slaked lime), and may include cinnamon, clove, cardamom, catechu (khoyer), grated coconut and other spices for extra flavouring. It is then popped into the mouth. As it is chewed, people enjoy the peppery taste, along with the warm feeling and alertness it gives (similar to drinking a fresh cup of coffee). The dark red colour generated by the combination of paan ingredients when chewed leave bright stains all around when the residue is spit out. This is an unwanted eyesore in many urban areas, although many see it as an integral part of their culture. Once, there used to be metal pikdaan (spittoon) at offices and homes for spitting out chewed paan. Paan is a ubiquitous sight in many parts of South and Southeast Asia. The origin and diffusion of paan chewing remains a somewhat unresolved issue. The betel is the leaf of a vine belonging to the piperaceae family. Desi paan, jhaal paan, mitha paan and sanchi paan are common varieties of betel leaves. Desi paan is the most popular. Mitha paan, a sweet variety, is grown in Chittagong, particularly on Moheshkhali island. The best quality betel leaves and betel nuts are grown in Barisal, Khulna and Rajshahi districts. Bangladesh is a major exporter of betel leaves and betel nuts. Unlike khat/qat of Ethiopia and Yemen, paan is universal. In India, paan is available practically everywhere and is sold in ready-to-chew pouches. I recollect a paan shop in front of a reputed restaurant in New Market in Kolkata where paan is sold almost 24 hours a day with various mouth-tempting masalas. The owner is a Mohammad Rafi fan and melodious Rafi songs of bygone days are played throughout the day. Paan is a common roadside commodity in Nepal, too. Although not as ubiquitous as in the Terai region, most residents of Kathmandu enjoy paan and it is a common sight at Kathmandu and Bhaktapur durbar squares. Betel nut chewing is also very popular in the Maldives. Usually, people prefer to chew thin slices of the dry nut, which is sometimes roasted. Kili, a mixture of areca nut, betel, cloves, cardamom and sugar is sold in small home-made paper pouches. We were served with paan after meals even in posh restaurants. The culture of chewing paan is very much prevalent in Pakistan, where a paan shop can be found in almost every street and market. During my visit to Lahore, I came across a street called Paan Gali dedicated to paan and its ingredients in the famous Anarkali Bazaar. Selling paan is prohibited by law and is frowned upon in Saudi Arabia and in the Persian Gulf countries because of the nuisance created by random spitting of chewed paan. During Hajj, I developed a craving for paan. In Makkah, I was led into a room at a rented building in an alley. Even before I entered, I was overtaken by the aroma of paan masalas. There, I found many of our countrymen indulging in idle gossips and relishing paan. In Medina, I found paan along with betel nuts with or without tobacco being sold from large polythene bags in front of a restaurant crowded with Bangladeshi Hajis, even though paan selling is banned there. In Vietnam, the areca nut and the betel leaf are such important symbols of love and marriage that the phrase matters of betel and areca is synonymous with marriage. I have found betel leaves being used ceremonially in Vietnamese temples. Malay culture and tradition hold betel nut and leaves in high esteem also; we were offered a tray of areca nuts and betel leaves during our visit to a longhouse at Kuching, Sarawak. Paan has been part of the indigenous culture in the Philippines. I have come across people chewing paan in the kitchen market at Los Banos. Betel chewing has very long tradition in Myanmar. Almost every household has a special lacquerware box for paan (paaner bata), which is offered to any visitor, along with cheroots to smoke and green tea to drink. In Singapore, paan can be found particularly in Little India and Little Bangladesh in the Serangoon area. I was surprised to find high consumption of paan in Taiwanese society. Shops are often identified by multicoloured fluorescent lights. Usually, the betel leaf is wrapped around a raw green areca nut. I was equally amazed to find the Timorese relish chewing paan. During my visit to Timor Leste, I found betel leaves, betel nuts and grounded tobacco (proxy for zarda) being openly sold in the markets. The Timorese would spatter their lips and mouth red chewing paan. The good thing is that they have not learned to spit like us. However, betel nut is not merely a mild stimulant or a non-offensive after dinner treat Consumption has many harmful effects on health and is carcinogenic to humans. Various compounds present in the nut, most importantly arecoline, contribute to histologic changes in the oral mucosa. Acute effects of betel chewing include asthma exacerbation, hypertension, and tachycardia. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has found that chewing betel nut causes cancer of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, prostate, cervix and lungs. Despite having many harmful effects on human health and in spite of promotional drives to curb the incidence of paan chewing, particularly with tobacco, the passion for paan continues unabated across the planet. Photos: Courtesy, Internet