Betel leaves straight out of the vessel containing cold-water land on a board, sweet smears and candies go in one by one, in their designated places. Everything is neatly tucked inside the leaf, there is but one condition, you have to pop the entire paan in one go. If you have grown up in India, you are no stranger to the phenomenon of paan. A one-of-a-kind mouth freshener, paan has been around in the subcontinent for more than 4000 years. The word Paan comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Parna’ which means ‘leaf’, it also holds immense significance in Ayurveda. Today paan has travelled across world and carved a niche of its own. Paan, can be made in multiple ways and the many modern renditions indicate that it is far from becoming obsolete.
Paan is often very nominally priced; in local pan stalls, you can still find Paan for INR 30-40, but what if the same pan comes coated in silver varq, and garnish of saffron? What will be its estimated worth then?
A video of ‘Raja-Rani Paan’ by YouTube creators India Eat Mania is going viral on YouTube. The YouTube short which was posted by the creators on Thursday has clocked in 4 million views in a day. The reason? Well, the Paan duo sells for a whopping 5000 Rupees. That’s right. This pair of Paan, made in Indore, is actually made for the newlyweds and gifted to them on their consummation night. This is why, locally, the Paan is also known as the ‘Suhaagraat Wala’ Paan.
The video also demonstrated the making of the Paan. Two betel leaves and laid out next to each other, a red smear made with ashwagandha, bhasm, and different herbs is spread on both the leaves. This is followed by a layer of tutti fruities, saunf or fennel seeds, dessicated coconut and gulkand. Gulkand is a desi rose petal jam, that infuses an aromatic touch to the whole paan. The betel leaves are then folded with all the contents inside, and rolled up in a thin silver varq or sheet. A bud made of Supari is opped with poppy seeds and placed on top of the Paan. Several rose petals are placed along the rim of the supari for it to resemble a blooming flower. The process is carried out with a lot of patience and precision with the help of a toothpick. Both the Paans are then finished off with saffron strands and placed inside a silver, bejeweled gift box with four compartments, two ae occupied with the Raja and Rani Paan, while the other two are filled with nuts and dry fruits.
You can watch the complete video here. The Paan sure looks like a vision, with the number of exotic ingredients used to build it, we are not even surprised. What are your thoughts on the Raja Rani Paan and its price? Do let us know.