The 'status' of beatle leaf in other countries

[Tom]

Hi

I would like to know the ‘status’ of beatle leaf in other countries

In Pakistan and India it is eaten a lot, especially after dinner. Its name is ‘Paan’ in these countries. Do you people eat it or like it? Could you please tell me the ingredients you put in it? Here we put green cardamom, white lime, supari, tobacco etc in it. There is also this red substance that produces a lot of ‘red juice’ in the mouth that you have to spit every now and again while eating the leaf. I am not really aware of the ‘right term’ for the said substance, nor do I know if it is available in other countries.

:shock: Children also go for ‘sweet’ beatle leaf.

Please share your opinions.

Tom

[Mister_Micawber]

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Perhaps this belongs in the ‘What do you want to talk about’ Forum, Tom.
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[Conchita]

@Tom

Hi

I would like to know the ‘status’ of beatle leaf in other countries

In Pakistan and India it is eaten a lot, especially after dinner. Its name is ‘Paan’ in these countries. Do you people eat it or like it? Could you please tell me the ingredients you put in it? Here we put green cardamom, white lime, supari, tobacco etc in it. There is also this red substance that produces a lot of ‘red juice’ in the mouth that you have to spit every now and again while eating the leaf. I am not really aware of the ‘right term’ for the said substance, nor do I know if it is available in other countries.

:shock: Children also go for ‘sweet’ beatle leaf.

Please share your opinions.

Tom

It’s good that you’ve brought up this subject matter, Tom, because betel or ‘pan’ is something I have always been intrigued with, ever since I first read about it – which was in R. Prawer Jhabvala’s novel “To Whom She Will” (or, to be precise, its German translation, which bears the title “Amrita und Hari”). All these people going round with a bulging cheek and spitting red juice must look strange (to us foreigners, I mean). As far as I know (I always think of Spencer now when I say that – where is he, by the way?), betel isn’t consumed in Europe.

For those who, like me, have little or no idea what ‘pan chewing’ is all about, here’s some interesting information: http://www.epistola.com/sfowler/scholar/scholar-betel.html
http://www.le-betel.com/recettes/en_recettes.htm

Betel nuts, so widely used in India, contain a drug called arecoline, a stimulant comparable to caffeine. The addition of a pinch of quicklime to the betel leaf appears to contribute to an increase in the potency of the leaf-nut combination. The exact role of betel leaf in a pan is unclear. For one, the leaf serves to wrap the contents in a nice little package. Secondly, the combination of quicklime and betel leaf appears to be responsible for the bright red juice just as the combination of quicklime and turmeric, the powder used for tilak, produces a similarly bright red color.) The nuisance value associated with excessive use of pan is that it first discolors the user’s teeth and makes them ugly. Secondly, the way people spit the juice on public pavements is a national disgrace. Yet, betel nut may also be dismissed as a benign stimulant.

[Tom]

What about you, Amy?

Have you ever eaten the leaf? Do you like it?

Tom

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

No, I’ve never had an opportunity to try the betel leaf or the betel nut or paan. You might be able to find betel nuts in a few shops (specializing in international foods) in the USA. But, basically the only type of leaf that is chewed (by some people) in the USA is tobacco — which is something I find incomprehensible. :shock: I assume, though, that betel leaf chewing is a lot nicer. :lol:

Do you chew a lot of Paan, Tom?

Amy