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Paan is a traditional Indian dish and mouth freshener made with different varieties of betel leaf wrapped in different kinds of fillings such as nutmeg, gulkand, tobacco, cherry and many more. Paan is very well-loved in every state of India. There are different kinds of modern takes on classic paans, such as chocolate, ice cream, and many more. There are also paan-flavoured ice cream and cakes too. One of the most beloved dishes that is quick and authentic is very rare to find among so many variations.
The taste of paan depends on your preference according to what you like. It can be either sweet, or it can be spicy. If you like spicy and plain taste with lots of nutmeg then you are in for sada paan, but if you like a fruity essence in your paan, you may go for meetha paan with gulkand and lots of cherries. But that's not it. There can be different flavours that you can explore in the same, from fruity flavours to tangy and spicy paan.
Let us explore what other types of you can taste to make your experience more flavourful and vast. Keep reading to find out more!
1. Sada Paan: Sada paan is one of the most classic and authentic mouth fresheners, which is served after each meal. It is simply made with lots of sour lime paste and betel leaves. Sometimes, nutmeg and acre nuts are added for the crunch. The taste of the paan is very sour and spicy with an earthy aroma. Paan is a mouth freshener which can also be eaten with a little bit of tobacco.
2. Meetha Paan: Meetha paan has a very fruity flavour. If you are looking for something sweet with the crispy to bite on, then make sure you try meetha paan, as it is one of the favourites. The most classic meetha paan is made with different flavours of Gulkand, adding lots of cherry bits to it. One can also add different sprinklers and sugared sauf to make it more flavourful and popping. Some of the Meetha paans can also carry pop-rocks and grinded toffee bits to enhance the flavour.
3. Maghai Paan: Maghai Paan is a speciality of Bihar and Jharkhand. The paan is made with lots of flavours mixed into the etel leaf with the right proportion of gulkand and lime together, which not only gives a sweet tangy flavour to it but also there is nutmeg to balance the spice from the lime paste. Maghai Paan can also be smoked with liquid nitrogen to make the experience more beautiful and royal.
4. Kesar Paan: Kesar is one of the most royal toppings one can add to the paan, making it taste like heaven. Kesar has a very strong flavour to it, and while it can be added to paan to make it more sweet and aromatic, it can also balance the taste of sada paan with lime paste and complement the sweetness of cherries in it. Kesar can either be sprinkled on the paan or it can be used as a concentration inside the leaf.
5. Litchi Leaf Paan: Betel leaves are a staple for making a paan as it is very strong in taste, and it can hold the crunchiness even after being wrapped with lots of liquid. Betel leaves also don't go stale. Similarly, there is another kind of paan which complements the same characteristics, i.e litchi leaves. Lichi leaves are sweet and spicy, similar to bay leaves. It can make a great wrap for a refreshing paan. Lichi leaves are best served with a Meetha paan.
6. Aam Papad Paan: Aam Papad paan is very rare to find because it is made with traditional mango leather, which is dried and sweetened under the sun and has a very tedious making process. Mango leather is also a very popular Street snack which is added to paan for enhancing its flavour. There are spicy mango strips that can be added to make sure that the kick of paan is flavourful and unique, while on the other hand, there are classic mango strips that are added to make mango flavoured paan.
7. Banarasi Paan: Last but not least, Banarasi paan is the most popular on the list, which has a mixture of everything, making it perfectly balanced to everyone's taste and Aroma. It has cherries, Saffron powder, lime paste, nutmeg powder and many more other items according to preference and customisation. Banarasi paan provides a heavenly texture to the mouth, refreshing taste buds from a heavy and royal lunch in an instant. Safe to say, nothing beats the love for Banarasi paan after a warm meal.
