How ‘Paan’ Became India’s Favourite

No matter from which part of India you are, you know paan and you know it is a treat. India is synonymous with paan as you can find it literally everywhere. This betel leaf is stuffed with a variety of ingredients and is a much-recognized mouth freshener. These days, you can find a huge variety of paans but not many of you would know that paan dates back to some 5000 years ago.  

Paan is said to have originated from the word ‘parna’ which means a leaf. Not only it has been a part of the Indian culture but it also spread its charm to pacific countries as well. This leaf finds its mention in the mythological epic Ramayana and it is known for several medicinal benefits in Ayurveda as well. It is believed that Lord Rama used to chew betel leaves to keep hunger at bay while goddess Sita gave a garland of betel leaves to Lord Hanuman when he visited her in Sri Lanka as a token of love.   

Talking about Ayurveda, betel leaves are known for several health benefits in this ancient medical system. While betel leaf juice is considered beneficial for curing infected ears, it also cures diseases caused by air. However, many people believe that eating paans can lead to oral cancer but this is not the complete truth. Eating paans loaded with tobacco and areca nuts can lead to this disease but when the paan leaf is eaten alone, it is healthier. Instead of tobacco variants, one can always shift to other quirky varieties of paan available in the market. 

Paan revolution brought by The Betel Leaf Co 

Some famous paan varieties may include meetha pan, silver paan, fire paan, ice paan, chocolate paan, rasmalai paan, and many others. A pioneer in bringing many of these unique paans to the fore is The Betel Leaf Co who tried an attempt to redefining paan and tapping it into all ages and dietary groups. It is the first FSSAI-certified OnlineD2C paan company in India that provides 100% tobacco-free paans. Available in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Mysore, Vizag, Ahmedabad, and now in Delhi and Gurgaon, they look to introduce their products pan India with the aim to be forerunners for the revolutionized paan scenario. 

            Image credits: The Betel Leaf Co/dry fruit meetha pan & coffee flavour paan

Co-Founder of The Betel Leaf. Co. Prem Raheja stated that their idea is reviving India’s Age-old tradition which lost its respect due to westernization to be brought back into everyone’s table to fulfill their post-meal craving by making paan, the Healthy Indian Dessert. Their belief is to bring on the table a variety and redefine traditional Indian dessert paan into a new avatar. Betel leaf offers flavoured paans in over 40 flavours. This includes saada paans, traditional meetha paans, flavoured paans, exotic paans, healthy paans, naturally sweetened paans, chocolate coated paans, kiddies paans, hangover paans along with many paan-infused chocolate bars, ice creams, and paan flavored teas.