Sweet Paan in Metro Boston?

     If you really enjoy some sweet paan (as I do), and you live in the Metro Boston area (as I do), you know that there are not many options to satisfy your paan desires. Perhaps this is because there are not more than a dozen people in Massachusetts who are not Indian or Sri Lankan and still enjoy a fresh sweet paan. Let me tell you, if you've never tried this Asian treat, you're really missing out.

     Sweet or meetha paan is the final stage of a large meal or any eating event or feast in India and parts of Southeast Asia. It is essentially a little package or cone made out a betel leaf and filled with some of the following: lime paste, brown powder paste, areca palm nuts (NB: these may be carcinogenic), gurlkand (a delicious rose petal conserve), fennel seed (candied or plain), coconut flakes, sweet chutney, cardamon, clove, honey.  There are many regional variations, and paan wallas all have their own secrets.

    Some paan recipes call for tobacco; I have not tried these and do not crave them. I have also read that some paan is laced with cocaine, and this is given to grooms on their wedding night. I can neither confirm nor deny these reports.

    Sweet paan is used as a breath freshener, a palate-cleanser, and a digestif. It can also act as a mild stimulant (when areca and betel are present). You can either chew the contents well and swallow, or chew and spit it out. Sometimes the paan is wrapped in aluminum foil, but other times (like for weddings) there is a more festive presentation.

Here is a blog recipe for homemade paan that looks tasty: http://www.mycreativeflavors.com/2011/08/anatomy-of-sweet-or-meetha-pan.html/  

Here is a you tube video of paan making on the streets of Mumbai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIFXqIZ4wl0

     My first exposure to these delicious and addictive little flavor explosives was at a fantastic restaurant in Delhi. I saw the waiter handing out triangular, foil-wrapped packages to his Indian guests, and I asked for one, too. The waiter was dubious, but I loved the herbal taste, sweetness and texture. I took my time. I chewed and swallowed about four mouthfuls, and thought it a perfect way to end a meal.  My best paan experience ever was brought to me by a young man who worked at The Oberoi in Udaipur. I happened to mention to him that I love paan and the next day he brought me a super-large one from his village nearby. It was spectacular. So full of wonderful flavors. The gold standard. I've also sampled the wares of a street vendor in Yangon, Myanmar; tasty but not terrific.

    Anyway, after returning home from India I tried to find some local paan. Not so easy. My friend Tenzin visits his sister in Queens, NYC, where there is a substantial Indian population around Jackson Heights. Twice now he has brought me wonderful gifts of paan:

This version has a lot of minced coconut and is quite substantial. The taste transported me back to India. Tenzin can't recall the address of his source but has promised to find out this info next time he visits. Hopefully, his generosity will continue!

Closer to home, Waltham, MA has a concentrated area of Indian commerce on the far end of Moody Street, including two good Indian supermarkets. Patel Brothers is at 425 Moody Street and India Market is at 315 Moody Street. Go to the refrigerated section against the wall at both locations (or ask someone) and you will find some ready-made fresh paan for $1.50-2.00 per piece:

Patel Paan on left, India Market on right

Both are usually available in my experience, and while they are not very large or first class examples, they will do very nicely until you get to NY or Asia.  Try them after a meal or while out walking. A really unique flavor experience!