Today I would like to begin a project where I will periodically choose to describe a different oral habit practiced within the cultures of our world.
Paan is chewed in the Southeast Asian and Indian cultures. The above picture well illustrates its composition, though the component ingredients are quite foreign to westerners. Paan has many regional variations, but most commonly it consists of a betel leaf spread with slaked lime (calcium hydroxide and water paste) wrapped about chunks of an areca nut. When I was in school, I was taught that chewing betel nuts was a custom of some Asian cultures. I have since learned that the betel tree has no fruit and in fact it was the areca nut, a component of the paan chew, that was referred to as the betel nut. So, now you know. Some regional variants may include tobacco, herbs, spices and dried fruits. Street vendors, the ubiquitous “Paanwalahs” are expert in the wrapping of the paan chew. Paan is traditionally used as a digestif and breath freshener.
I had vowed to try paan on a recent visit to India. I figured that of the many daring things one can experience in India, paan would be one of the more tolerable and innocuous, driving a car and bathing in the Ganges being more life-threatening. I was immediately exposed to this paan behavior upon arrival in India. Our guide, Papu, was chewing incessantly on his wad from the moment we met. The experience of observing a paan chewer is repulsive on many levels. The largish wad, compared to your typical American dip, distends the cheeks. The constant slurping of excessive salivation and distortion of the spoken word while trying to talk around the bundle is maddening. The excess saliva is too much to swallow, so projectile spitting is unavoidable. The landscape is dotted with the red juices of paan. The appearance of the red dyed teeth and gums only accentuate the severe dental damage incurred by indulging in this habit…which it is…a habit. A strong one. One of the drivers we hired on our tours commented that he needed a chew every couple of hours to remain alert. There are stimulants in the combination of leaves and nuts and lime and tobacco.
My desire to experiment with paan diminished as I experienced the behavior second hand. Maybe next time.
