To paan or not to paan - the paan thread

daresendez · Feb 21st, 2007, 02:43

thanks everyone! So there is hope. ravips29 if you could find out if they could ship some, that would be great (I want some of my friends to try it, they're all very curious about paan). I currently live in Fort Worth, TX right now. Let me know what's up.

noflylist · Feb 21st, 2007, 02:46

Houston do have paan shops, several

noflylist · Feb 21st, 2007, 02:49

i bet dallas fort worth area has paan shop too

GoanCanuck · Feb 21st, 2007, 03:02

You can buy paan at quite a few places in Vancouver.

Sensi · Feb 21st, 2007, 04:34

I didn't know anyone enjoyed pan. Does a non smoker enjoy a smoke now and then?

fromusawithluv · Feb 21st, 2007, 07:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravips29

I live in Queens, NY and we have several paan walas in Jackson Heights (Queens). We had a sampling at our IM meetup last weekend. They have all the ingredients that you would find in India, Baba Zarda, beetle nut, etc. The sweet paan is excellent here. If you want some let me know and I'll find out if they will ship it to you.

Great to hear!

Yah..def. want to know if they'll ship it!

Have you ever had frozen paan?? I had some in Pune. It was YUMMMY!!

Sujoy666 · Feb 21st, 2007, 07:51

i didnt have frozen pan but pan placed on ICE blocks i have seen and had some too really nice, like it melts in your mouth yyyyuuuummmmm

robotvoice · Feb 21st, 2007, 11:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by noflylist

Houston do have paan shops, several

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoanCanuck

You can buy paan at quite a few places in Vancouver.

damn!! that's messed up. Here I am in the Silicon Valley and I can't find any paan. I guess i'll have to start my own business!

Nick-H · Feb 21st, 2007, 11:34

Its at this point that I always trot out the stuff about the dangers of mouth cancer.

Nobody ever listens, though.

(Just like I never did when I was a smoker, I suppose

)

Seriously, check it out, guys --- sweet paan ought to be ok, but many people are not aware that there is any risk at all to the other stuff. Best to know what you are doing!

As to that 'dehydrated' stuff (guttka, gotkka???): it is so evil it is actually illegal in parts of India.

robotvoice · Feb 21st, 2007, 11:44

gutka was what i was hoping for nick.

but thank you for the Public Service Anouncement.

you are right, by the way.

Casey · Feb 21st, 2007, 17:31

I brought back some of the stuff in packages (the kind rickshaw drivers are constantly spitting) for my co-worker from Pakistan, as he loved the real stuff. I knew it wasn't remotely close to paan, but we thought we would give it a try. We both put it in our mouth at the same time, looked around a bit, and then dashed down the hall to the washrooms to rinse out our mouths. I guess that this is probably acquired taste but I didn't really want to give it another go. Can anyone tell me what is in those packages? I don't even know what it is called in order to google it. Years ago, there was a breath freshener called Sen Sen, which tasted somewhat similar.

Nick-H · Feb 21st, 2007, 20:37

As Robotvoice says, it is called Gutka.

It contains, among other things, Betel nut and tobacco.

it has a lovely 'perfume' which I always enjoy when near it.

There's not much consideration of 'health and safety' in India --- but this stuff is banned in several states.

almond · Feb 21st, 2007, 20:54

The 'health and safety' precautions are for those who have a pan everyday and in some cases after every meal. But for those indulging in it once in a month or even once in a week, I doubt if it poses any kind of danger other than munching something different & the sheer pleasure of spitting. I think the mouth enjoys something different once in a while.

In the days of Chanakya etc people used to chew the leaf covering the paan every morning, as a natural mouth-freshener

amyl · Feb 21st, 2007, 21:04

Gutka - the Killer! It's smell just engulfs you. I do not like it tho. Owing to its packaged delivery, easy availability, 'perfume' it is taking more lives than that raw tobacco used to do among ppl. And the 'pioneer' of this poison has a 5-Star level mansion/farmhouse with a helipad just near my skating roads back home. A highly successful businessman devoid of ethics!

Anyways.... about Paan....does it cause cancer if we are choosy and particular about its ingredients?! I usually make him get me a custom made with chosen ingredients. Is that red-thing also carcinogenic? Never thought about it.

But lately I have shifted from "masala" paan to "Magai" paan at Paan eating times in Pune/Mumbai. It's a small, cutely wrapped paan with a refreshing taste moreover it's also very soft on your mouth and throat. If its well made it just 'melts' in your mouth. I remember one good maker at JM Road, Pune.

btw how about a 150Rs Magai Paan?! Never tasted it but came across its coverage here.

And ever heard of a man who makes different shapes of paan to serve you? Different prices for different shapes. He was even covered by a news channel. He comes in a car to his Paan Shop

amyl · Feb 21st, 2007, 21:08

and yes that Gutka lately has been banned in Maharashtra....not sure if its still there. But during that ban this business man set up a unit at the border in Karnataka and started his distribution. Banned by Maharashtra govt not Karnatak, isn't it?

He also had another way of providing this much needed poison. He made the eaters 'make' the gutka by mixing of two separate packets. Separately none of the two packets can be termed as 'Gutka' according to the doctrine. But if mixed it would give the same effect as a one-packet-gutka used to give.
hmmm...quite obedient this businessman is.

Feb 21st, 2007, 11:34	#69
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 35,898	Its at this point that I always trot out the stuff about the dangers of mouth cancer. Nobody ever listens, though. (Just like I never did when I was a smoker, I suppose ) Seriously, check it out, guys --- sweet paan ought to be ok, but many people are not aware that there is any risk at all to the other stuff. Best to know what you are doing! As to that 'dehydrated' stuff (guttka, gotkka???): it is so evil it is actually illegal in parts of India. __________________ ... Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)

Feb 21st, 2007, 21:04	#74
amyl 21st Century Freak Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Singapura.......in Babenhausen, DE for a while Posts: 1,850	Gutka - the Killer! It's smell just engulfs you. I do not like it tho. Owing to its packaged delivery, easy availability, 'perfume' it is taking more lives than that raw tobacco used to do among ppl. And the 'pioneer' of this poison has a 5-Star level mansion/farmhouse with a helipad just near my skating roads back home. A highly successful businessman devoid of ethics! Anyways.... about Paan....does it cause cancer if we are choosy and particular about its ingredients?! I usually make him get me a custom made with chosen ingredients. Is that red-thing also carcinogenic? Never thought about it. But lately I have shifted from "masala" paan to "Magai" paan at Paan eating times in Pune/Mumbai. It's a small, cutely wrapped paan with a refreshing taste moreover it's also very soft on your mouth and throat. If its well made it just 'melts' in your mouth. I remember one good maker at JM Road, Pune. btw how about a 150Rs Magai Paan?! Never tasted it but came across its coverage here. And ever heard of a man who makes different shapes of paan to serve you? Different prices for different shapes. He was even covered by a news channel. He comes in a car to his Paan Shop __________________ a'mar kono chinta nei

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Feb 21st, 2007, 02:43	#61
daresendez Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 30	thanks everyone! So there is hope. ravips29 if you could find out if they could ship some, that would be great (I want some of my friends to try it, they're all very curious about paan). I currently live in Fort Worth, TX right now. Let me know what's up.

Feb 21st, 2007, 02:46	#62
noflylist Account Closed on User's Request Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Houston Posts: 833	Houston do have paan shops, several

Feb 21st, 2007, 02:49	#63
noflylist Account Closed on User's Request Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Houston Posts: 833	i bet dallas fort worth area has paan shop too

Feb 21st, 2007, 03:02	#64
GoanCanuck Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vancouver Posts: 3,380	You can buy paan at quite a few places in Vancouver.

Feb 21st, 2007, 04:34	#65
Sensi Account Closed Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: in a bungalow Posts: 142	I didn't know anyone enjoyed pan. Does a non smoker enjoy a smoke now and then?

Feb 21st, 2007, 07:51	#67
Sujoy666 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: bangalore Posts: 38	i didnt have frozen pan but pan placed on ICE blocks i have seen and had some too really nice, like it melts in your mouth yyyyuuuummmmm

Feb 21st, 2007, 11:44	#70
robotvoice mikeaholic Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: california Posts: 1,183	gutka was what i was hoping for nick. but thank you for the Public Service Anouncement. you are right, by the way.

Feb 21st, 2007, 17:31	#71
Casey Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 707	I brought back some of the stuff in packages (the kind rickshaw drivers are constantly spitting) for my co-worker from Pakistan, as he loved the real stuff. I knew it wasn't remotely close to paan, but we thought we would give it a try. We both put it in our mouth at the same time, looked around a bit, and then dashed down the hall to the washrooms to rinse out our mouths. I guess that this is probably acquired taste but I didn't really want to give it another go. Can anyone tell me what is in those packages? I don't even know what it is called in order to google it. Years ago, there was a breath freshener called Sen Sen, which tasted somewhat similar.

Feb 21st, 2007, 20:37	#72
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 35,898	As Robotvoice says, it is called Gutka. It contains, among other things, Betel nut and tobacco. it has a lovely 'perfume' which I always enjoy when near it. There's not much consideration of 'health and safety' in India --- but this stuff is banned in several states.

Feb 21st, 2007, 20:54	#73
almond Mike Myers Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 125	The 'health and safety' precautions are for those who have a pan everyday and in some cases after every meal. But for those indulging in it once in a month or even once in a week, I doubt if it poses any kind of danger other than munching something different & the sheer pleasure of spitting. I think the mouth enjoys something different once in a while. In the days of Chanakya etc people used to chew the leaf covering the paan every morning, as a natural mouth-freshener

Feb 21st, 2007, 21:08	#75
amyl 21st Century Freak Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Singapura.......in Babenhausen, DE for a while Posts: 1,850	and yes that Gutka lately has been banned in Maharashtra....not sure if its still there. But during that ban this business man set up a unit at the border in Karnataka and started his distribution. Banned by Maharashtra govt not Karnatak, isn't it? He also had another way of providing this much needed poison. He made the eaters 'make' the gutka by mixing of two separate packets. Separately none of the two packets can be termed as 'Gutka' according to the doctrine. But if mixed it would give the same effect as a one-packet-gutka used to give. hmmm...quite obedient this businessman is.