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Great Indian Paan Chews
By siliconindia
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Tuesday, 20 September 2011, 23:34 IST
Bangalore: How often do you chew paan? However, while chewing paan, have you ever thought about which place gives the best paan and how it differs from place to place? In India, paan has a great significance since pre-Vedic Harappan Empire. It was even considered as a custom of the royalty to chew areca nut and betel leaf.
Pan, popularly known as tambula in Sanskrit, is usually consumed after meals. It helps in digestion, relieves bad breath and leaves your mouth feeling afresh. It also reduces blood pressure, assists in digestion, relieves hunger, and strengthens teeth. Here are some places where paan can be found at its best and also has great significance.
Paan of Lucknow
Paan chewing tradition of Lucknow is world famous. It is relevant since Nawab's time. In fact it is often believed as a part of custom in Lucknow. In Lucknow you can vitness a number of vendors having wheel shops with a lot of hanging gutkas, cigarettes, bettle leaves and sophisticated ingredients kept in a good looking round shaped boxes and bottles. They are identified as Paan Community ( Paan Vaala). Paan is also a must served item in marriage parties. Lucknow's Meetha Paan is world famous for its sweet and liked qualities.
Chocolate pan of Delhi
Fresh paan leaves arrive to Delhi 6 paan market from Chennai, Varanasi, Kolkata, and Patna. The Chocolate paan at Connaught Place is the best paan you can get in Delhi. They make chocolate paan with two blocks of chocolate wrapped in betel leaf. This particular paan is very famous among young people those who roam around Connaught Place in the evenings, especially during monsoon season.
Banarasi Paan
Banarasi paan is famous with its fresh nature. The betel leaves they use are fresh and tasty. In Banarasi Paan, they mainly add gulkand, grated coconut and dry dates. All these ingredients will be wrapped in a betel leaf and served. They make it artistically by keeping the exact proportions to make it more delicious. You will get a wide verity of paan including magahi, saachi, jadda etc. in the market.
Paan of Kolkata
Bengal is another famous center for Paan industry. The Paan of Kotkata is so popular that most people hire special paan makers from here to make Paan during special occasions. While making paan they give it the right combination of betel nut. And also right amount of sweets. Try out paan in Raja Paan shop at Lake Market in the south, paan shop beyond the Salt Lake Stadium, paan shop at Bhowanipore next to Bhowanipore College, Place near Minto Park, and Place near Shibuji off Theatre Road. You might find yourself coming back more often than you thought.
Mumbai Ka Paan
Well, nothing can be compared with the paan you get in Kolkata, Delhi, Banaras and Lucknow but sometimes Mumbai's paan shops can also often roll up an amazing paan. You should tryout Paan shops like Muchhad Panwalla at the Breach Candy strip in South Mumbai, Hit Pandit's paan shop on the pavement, Opposite Taj President, Cuffe Parade, S Pan Bhandar outside Thakur Cinema in Thakur Village, Kandivali East and the parent shop opposite Avenue Restaurant in Thakur Complex. These places are all famous for delicious magai, saada, meetha and Allahbadi paans.