Can Anyone Explain PAN? (a Herbal Thingy Wrapped In A Leaf)

Topic locked
  • Reply
Can anyone explain PAN? (a herbal thingy wrapped in a leaf) Jul 18, 2006
I think it's Pakistani in origins?

What exactly is pan? What are the ingredients? And what is it good for?

freza
Dubai chat master
User avatar
Posts: 920

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
I know what is pot.....is that like pan?
mraph33
Dubai Expat Helper
User avatar
Posts: 550
Location: On the 3-point arc

  • Reply
Pan Jul 18, 2006
mraph33 wrote:I know what is pot.....is that like pan?


No, not at all. Pan can actually be prepared at some restaurants and it is not illegal.
freza
Dubai chat master
User avatar
Posts: 920

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
PAAN origins from the Indian subcontinent.

The paan has a beetle leaf which is coated with slaked lime and other ingredient whose name i have forgotten. add to it bettle nut cut to pieces and chew on it. This is the most basic paan which is famous in rural india. It is a very good digestive , carminative, anti flatulent etc etc.

There are many different versions of commercial Paan to suit to your individual taste. Its may contain upto twenty different ingredients ( if i name them it would be diffcult for most people to understand) so lets call them taste enhancing ingredients. People who want to get a kick out of eating Paan add tobacco to it.

Paans can have wierd names to it
banarasi, eksobis teenso( 120-300 based on the grade of tobacco added to it) calcutta masala etc.

Heres a website to one of the most famous Paanwala in mumbai .

http://www.paan.com/main.htm

was this what u were looking for??

cheers,

jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
JERRY
you forgot the famous mumbai "ice cream paan"....what a combo...!!!
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
lol const,

thats what i wondering, i also forgot Maggai lol. and muchads maggai in mumbai is humungous, u have to have two mouthfuls to finish it.

:lol: :lol:

cheers,

jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
freza
to answer your question more specifically...paan is usually used as a mouth freshener...but it does not have any herbal or good qualities...in fact its a dentists nightmare and i highly DON'T recommend it...unless you wanna taste it for the heck of it...
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
constantine wrote:freza
to answer your question more specifically...paan is usually used as a mouth freshener...but it does not have any herbal or good qualities...in fact its a dentists nightmare and i highly DON'T recommend it...unless you wanna taste it for the heck of it...


i would second what const said, but the betel leaf itself has medicinal values

http://www.indoindians.com/lifestyle/paan.htm

cheers,

Jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
jerry
you are right about the beetel leaf...but combined with all the nuts/additives/sugary stuff...dang...i only have it once or twice a year...but it does taste great!! and i could easiy get addicted to it...
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

  • Reply
Paan Jul 18, 2006
Jeevan wrote:PAAN origins from the Indian subcontinent.

The paan has a beetle leaf which is coated with slaked lime and other ingredient whose name i have forgotten. add to it bettle nut cut to pieces and chew on it. This is the most basic paan which is famous in rural india. It is a very good digestive , carminative, anti flatulent etc etc.

There are many different versions of commercial Paan to suit to your individual taste. Its may contain upto twenty different ingredients ( if i name them it would be diffcult for most people to understand) so lets call them taste enhancing ingredients. People who want to get a kick out of eating Paan add tobacco to it.

Paans can have wierd names to it
banarasi, eksobis teenso( 120-300 based on the grade of tobacco added to it) calcutta masala etc.

Heres a website to one of the most famous Paanwala in mumbai .

http://www.paan.com/main.htm

was this what u were looking for??

cheers,

jerry



Thanks a bunch, this is indeed the info that I was looking for. Great job.
freza
Dubai chat master
User avatar
Posts: 920

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
now this discussion has got me wondering do we get Paan in Dubai??

yea if u have tooth problems stay away from it is all i can say it will just lead to a root canal at a date earlier then it would be. :lol: :lol:

cheers

jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
Jeevan wrote:
constantine wrote:freza
to answer your question more specifically...paan is usually used as a mouth freshener...but it does not have any herbal or good qualities...in fact its a dentists nightmare and i highly DON'T recommend it...unless you wanna taste it for the heck of it...


i would second what const said, but the betel leaf itself has medicinal values

http://www.indoindians.com/lifestyle/paan.htm

cheers,

Jerry


I actually had paan before, but I didn't even know what it was! I got intrigued by it for sure, not only the taste but the preparation method (it looks like some small ritual).
freza
Dubai chat master
User avatar
Posts: 920

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
Anytime Freza,

ur welcome, do u know a place in Dubai where i can get Paan

cheers,

Jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
Jeevan wrote:Anytime Freza,

ur welcome, do u know a place in Dubai where i can get Paan

cheers,

Jerry



Jerry, no I don't know of such a place in Dubai, I would actually like to know where I can find it here too.

Maybe constantine knows of a place?
freza
Dubai chat master
User avatar
Posts: 920

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
Jeevan wrote:Anytime Freza,

ur welcome, do u know a place in Dubai where i can get Paan

cheers,

Jerry


dude
fly down to bombay...only 3 hours away :lol: :lol: ...i would...lol
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
constantine wrote:
Jeevan wrote:Anytime Freza,

ur welcome, do u know a place in Dubai where i can get Paan

cheers,

Jerry


dude
fly down to bombay...only 3 hours away :lol: :lol: ...i would...lol


const,
no time right now :lol: but am planning to take my vacation during the world cup in 2007 will go home relax and watch all the damn matches hehehe. if that doesnt happen maybe fly to carribien for about 10 days but i dont wanna miss the matches.

cheers,

jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
Actually paan is banned in dubai. Since most people spit out the paan (usually on the corners of walls) and it dirties the place. You can get paan illegally in Bur dubai somehwere.
Eros
Dubai forums Addict
User avatar
Posts: 251
Location: Dubai

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
that is a noble thought...my brother is flying all the way from canada to carribeans and he's already got his flights booked...but guess what...all the hotels have almost been booked already...can you believe that!!!
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
Eros wrote:Actually paan is banned in dubai. Since most people spit out the paan (usually on the corners of walls) and it dirties the place. You can get paan illegally in Bur dubai somehwere.


Hi eros,

not all types of paan are spit out a few are chewed on for its flavor and then swallowed. the ones with excessive slaked lime and tobacco have to be stip out.

cheers

jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
Eros wrote:Actually paan is banned in dubai. Since most people spit out the paan (usually on the corners of walls) and it dirties the place. You can get paan illegally in Bur dubai somehwere.


Thanks that solves a mistery for me. Always wondered what that stuff on the corner of the buidlings or just outside the doorways was (brown nasty looking stuff).
Concord
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3918
Location: Dawg House

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
constantine wrote:that is a noble thought...my brother is flying all the way from canada to carribeans and he's already got his flights booked...but guess what...all the hotels have almost been booked already...can you believe that!!!


yea i know, me and one of my office mate are planning on it. hes got a friend who stays there so stay wouldnt be a problem :lol: but then i guess tickets would be. lets see orelse home sweet home with your favorite drink and food with a few friends around u nothing like it.

cheers,

jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
just did that with footie world cup...might just do that with cricket...hmmm...the idea seems more and more appeal by the second...
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
If i am not able to make it to mumbai around that time, lets gang up and watch the matches together? what say??. would be a great way to get together as well.

cheers,

Jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
Jeevan wrote:If i am not able to make it to mumbai around that time, lets gang up and watch the matches together? what say??. would be a great way to get together as well.

cheers,

Jerry


sure mate...no problemo...have a projector...can bring it over...big screen in your own home...wuuhuu!!
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
hmm, thats what we used to do back home, :lol: and sit in team india kit lol when we lost the finals agnst aust i got myself stoned in grief.:)

thats a nice idea would look forward to it :)

cheers,

Jerry
Jeevan
Dubai Forums Zealot
User avatar
Posts: 3711
Location: Dubai !!

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
Jeevan wrote:hmm, thats what we used to do back home, :lol: and sit in team india kit lol when we lost the finals agnst aust i got myself stoned in grief.:)

thats a nice idea would look forward to it :)

cheers,

Jerry


stoned ahhh ....so long ago...been out of the country for 8 years so more now...
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

  • Reply
Paan Jul 18, 2006
I can understand that sugar and tabacco can be bad for the teeth but the other ingredients actually have health benefits. Like clove and cinnamon. But looking at the list of ingredients I can't figure out what most of them are though.
freza
Dubai chat master
User avatar
Posts: 920

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
lime = corrosive...
beetel nut = very bad for tooth
chawanbahar = really bad for tooth/mouth
kaacha supari= beetel nut soaked i = very bad for tooth
meetha supari = beetel but soaked in sugar = very very bad for tooth
clove = good
cardomom or eliache = good

5 bad and 2 goods so far....the dentist must be smiling :lol: :lol: ...he's gonna earn a fat packet...lol...just kidding...this can only lead to worse things if you indulged in it on a weekly basis...
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

  • Reply
Paan bad for teeth? Jul 18, 2006
constantine wrote:lime = corrosive...
beetel nut = very bad for tooth
chawanbahar = really bad for tooth/mouth
kaacha supari= beetel nut soaked i = very bad for tooth
meetha supari = beetel but soaked in sugar = very very bad for tooth
clove = good
cardomom or eliache = good

5 bad and 2 goods so far....the dentist must be smiling :lol: :lol: ...he's gonna earn a fat packet...lol...just kidding...this can only lead to worse things if you indulged in it on a weekly basis...


OK, this does make sense. Drinking sugary tea every day and having a paan habit would not be such a good idea after all :) One more question, what is chawanbahar?
freza
Dubai chat master
User avatar
Posts: 920

  • Reply
Jul 18, 2006
hmm chawanbahar...how do i describe it...its a brownish powder which is a mix of mint/perhaps cinemmon and it definately is a breath freshener...you've gotta taste it to perhaps understand...
constantine
Dubai Master of Thread Hijackers
Posts: 1506
Location: finally in dubai!

posting in Dubai General ChatForum Rules

Return to Dubai General Chat


  • Related topics
    Replies
    Last post
cron