PAAN : THE ALL NATURAL BREATH FRESHNER

 My India trip is almost coming to an end. I wait and plan for two years, to come to India. To spend quality time with my family members, who are still here. Eating out at our favorite restaurants, chatting up till late at night with my brother, enjoying a hot cuppa with my parents and a mandatory trip to the Beaches along the Bay of Bengal. This time around, the trip started on a great note, but midway through it, my father had a major cardiac arrest. He battled life and death, and every moment counted. My father is currently home, to regain his strength before he gets readmitted to another hospital, for the next round of treatments and medical procedures.

I had many many posts planned to write during my India trip, but all of those have been put on hold. Thank you to all of you who supported us during these dark hours. While I will write about the rest of the planned posts later, I thought of ending the stay in India, with a post about Paan. 

Why Paan, if you might ask? A celebratory Indian meal is often accompanied by a Paan, to end the meal. So a post about the Paan to end the India vacation. 

What is Paan? It is a breath freshener, to say the least. Often also seen as a sign of hospitality. A digestive aid. A heady concoction, which often can act as a stimulant for some, as well. Betel Leaves, are wrapped in a triangular shape, with chopped areca nuts, a dash of edible lime, desiccated rose petals, cloves, fennel seeds to name a few. 

Betel Leaves themselves can be of a few kinds- the Meetha(the sweet) or the Plain. Personally, I prefer the Meetha Paan, which is made with the sweeter variety of Betel leaves, with a host of sweet and savory fillings. Paan shops could be found earlier at street corners, and now with globalization, they have become fancier. Paan is wrapped and often chilled on top of blocks of ice, to keep them cook, in the hot sultry Summers of India. 

My recent encounters with the Paan were filled with memories. From the time of holding on to an extra Paan, after a meal at a wedding ceremony or a family, to the fancier paan, which I can't even fit in my mouth in one bite. The trick with paan is you take it all in one bite and keep on chewing. It melts in your mouth. 

Kansas City does not have an Indian restaurant yer, which has Paan on its menu. Correct me, if I am wrong. You do get the plain variety of Betel leaves from some of the Indian grocery stores, but they are the spicier leaves, which I can't handle. You could always buy those, and also pick up the other basic ingredients and make your paan at home. Of if you ever travel to India, do try out a Meetha Paan(the sweet paan) and you will love the experience.