Paan

DoDi

Have you tried it? What does it taste like? Does it get you 'high'? Did you like it?

I didn't get a chance to try it (or maybe I was a little scared of the effect and the 'red mouth'). But I'm very curious and also interested in how it's made and what varieties exist.

Also, someone gave me one of the somewhat big green seed-like things that it's made out of which I brought home with me. What is it called?

crvlvr

All you ever wanted to know about Paan:

http://www.paan.com/history.htm
http://www.indiaprofile.com/religion...aanchewing.htm
http://images.google.com/images?q=paan&hl=en&lr=&client =firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&sa=N&tab=wi

Areca Nut is one of the ingredients added inside the beetle leaf: http://www.nisbett.com/herbs/a/areca056.html

DoDi

Well, I guess that ends this discussion!

Nick-H

This is my queue to go into Very Boring Mode

Sweet Paan is unlikely to do you much harm if taken occasionally (and indeed tastes delicious), but be aware that areca nut is carcinogenic.

OTOH the stuff with tobacco in it is very dangerous.

London hospital poster: "You may enjoy your paan, but will you enjoy cancer?"

<re-engages TriviaDrive and moves on to the next thread...>

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AvidTrekker

my first 5 days in india

this is the post where freemanx says he ate his first paan. The full discussion can be found here.

Other threads on paan

betel-leaf vendor! is it ok?

and

paan: the strangest thing I have ever eaten

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DoDi

I love freemanx's little smilie guy in his first paan experiance post:

Thanks! I'll read the threads and look for 'mints' in our local Indian shops.

Nick-H

<Boring Mode again...>

Especially don't touch the powdery stuff that comes in little packets (Gutka). Not only does it contain tobacco it also contains all kinds of stuff bad for health. Do you smoke tobacco? If not don't get started on this stuff.

I think that selling chewing tobacco was made illegal in UK decades ago. Because this stuff is sold only in Indian shops I don't think it has attracted any official notice.

Maharashtra state governement has made attempts to ban it, but has been beaten on technicalities by the manufacturers. There is, IIRC from the last report I saw, support for this ban at central govt level, but it is probably as likely to happen as a ban on smoking.