[ddevadatta]

Hey quit knocking pan. That is the digestive food of the Gods. There is nothing like sitting down and having a pan after a huge meal. Yummy. Ah! and to spit the juice on the sidewalk, what a feeling of utter contentment.

Kidding aside pan is moderation should be fine. The addicts of pan are the ones who need to watch it!.

[Hyderabadi]

Pan itself is not bad, the sweet pan or 'sada', plain pan are great after a meal. It's the Zarda and Gutkha that get you to the cancer specialist. Gutkha is particularly bad, has all kinds of terrible stuff. Almost got addicted to it trying to quit smoking!

http://www.ganeshzarda.com/

http://www.antigutkha.com/

[Nick-H]

Yes, sweet paan is ok.

Anything with tobacco in it is the worst, but betel is carcinogenic too.

My [indian] ex-girlfriend was a staff nurse in a dermatology clinic. She used to lecture me on this, in case I ever fancied trying it. There was, she said, a poster on the clinic wall: "You may enjoy your paan, but will you enjoy cancer?"

Certainly as an ex-smoker I know I must never touch anything with nicotene in it, or I'd be hooked again dead quick

[bijapuri]

In Bangalore, my favourite paanwalla (who can say which one is best?) is a stand right by Koshys on St. Marks Rd.
The following is an editorial, . . . .
IMHO, a discussion about the safety of Paan belongs in a separate thread, just as the cardiology detriments of fat-laden indian food would not belong in a thread about where to find same.

[ddevadatta]

Wow! Never can these two words be combined: healthy food and Indian food. We eat Indian food not because it is healthy but because it tastes great! The beauty of Indian food is that it tastes great and is sure not less filling. Pardon the pun for you budweiser lovers. or is it miller???

Just eat and enjoy Indian food and follow it with a nice paan.

[Nick-H]

Originally Posted by bijapuri

... ... ...
IMHO, a discussion about the safety of Paan belongs in a separate thread, just as the cardiology detriments of fat-laden indian food would not belong in a thread about where to find same.

I was completely unaware of the dangers until lectured (very severly) by my properly-informed Ex.

I find that most of my Indian friends remain unaware and want to stay that way. But I never listened in 20 years of smoking so...

Seems to me, then, that any discussion of Paan, or any other drug, for that matter, should include the possible ill effects, especially if potentialy fatal or severely disfiguring.

[bijapuri]

the only problem in your reasoning, Nick, is that its a recipe for being labeled a total bore, which, by your posts, you are most definitely not.

[beach]

mitta paan

(every paan has a silver lining)

[Nick-H]

Originally Posted by bijapuri

the only problem in your reasoning, Nick, is that its a recipe for being labeled a total bore, which, by your posts, you are most definitely not.

Bijapuri, I take that as a great compliment

However I do consider this serious (not that jokes on the subject wouldn't welcome, I'll take a joke about most things, as you seem to have noticed).

What about a thread on the best cigarettes? or the best heroin? Or the best moonshine alcohol? Wouldn't that atract a few comments on health, legality, etc? I'm not moralizing about people selecting their own method of killing themselves (I've tried a few myself over the years).

I'll recommend Kava Kava, I think it is wonderful stuff, but not without informing people that there is a scare about it causing liver damage and they should check it out then make their own decision.

Maybe it's just that I find the idea of my face (or that of my friends) rotting away or being surgically cut away so utterly horrifying that just thinking about it is almost enough to make me light a cigarette for the first time in 15 years. I'd much, much rather die of lung cancer than live with half a face

But this is getting heavy. I'm nipping out to another thread to lighten up

[vir]

IT in paan business:

http://www.ndtv.com/andfinally/showa...i-tech&id=1898

[jpvs]

I prefer Nirlep Non Stick pans more.. and some say that Prestige pans are also nice...


:P PJ Alert!

[rangss]

Originally Posted by Nick-H

And does he refer you to a good mouth cancer specialist afterwards?

Sorry, but...

Nick...pan does not cause cancer...only the optional tobbacco in it does...so cut the tobbacco out.
You can leave out the betel nut too...

[navinkurian2002]

Theres a pan wallah in at Juhu beach Mumbai opposite hotel palm grove who is supposed to serve a 400 Rs paan put a lotta silver in it lol! But i havent tried it and dont eat paan so wont be able to comment on it .The most famous is mucchad and this guy has his own website hehe http://www.paan.com/

[Nick-H]

Originally Posted by rangss

Nick...pan does not cause cancer...only the optional tobbacco in it does...so cut the tobbacco out.
You can leave out the betel nut too...

Just a quick google on "betel nut cancer" shows that Areca nut is carcinogenic.

I'm sure there are delicious sweet paan recipes which contain neither tobacco or areca...

I haven't looked up the effects of the betel leaf.

[mira4bai4]

jpvs I prefer Nirlep Non Stick pans more.. and some say that Prestige pans are also nice...

Unfortunately they have found our favourite non stick teflon is shall we say carcinogenic and so as we cook away daily and scrape it off daily we ingest this wonderful technology.

I am known as a bore.!!!!