We're looking for a source of paan in the San Francisco Bay Area. It appears that it is illegal to import into the US. However, there's also mention of a betel plantation in Hawaii where fresh leaves can be procured. Any leads on finding legal paan domestically?
Melanie Wong
Nov 21, 2003 08:31PM
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Betel nut is legal, remember it is only the importation that is somewhat proscribed, not the use or possession in the United states. I did find the following information posted in several articles: "FDA did issue a bulletin advising inspectors to use their discretion to decide if the nuts are allowed into the country. FDA rules let inspectors seize products they feel are unsanitary, not truthful in their labeling, not identified in English, or, in the case of betel nuts, may be part of a "violative trend.""
The only place it seems there are any laws covering betel are allegedly in California where if a secondary or elementary school child is found using it they can be suspended from school.
It is found growing all over Hawaii, even in peoples yards.
Paan is easy to find just about anywhere. I have found it all over NYC, whether sold from small carts out on the street in Jackson Heights, Queens to made at the counter at magazine and spice shops on 2nd Ave near 6th ST in Manhattan. When in Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, and Los Angeles it was also relatively easy to find.
I have ordered up to a dozen to go wrapped in foil, both the sweet versions and the strong (with raw tobacco added) with no problems.
While the leaves used in paan are called betel leaves they are not from the same plant that produces the betel nut (Areca catechu), but are the aromatic leaf from a plant similar to pepper (piper betle) it is aromatic from the chemical phenol (betel-phenol) similar to the aromatic eugenol found in the oil of cloves. It is the betel nut that contains arecoline which is released when mixed with catalytic lime, either powder (calcium oxide) or paste (calcium hydroxide) and dissolved in saliva when sucked.
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I forgot to add that while the legality is not in much question yet it may be soon. The health issues are a totally different story. It probably is carcinogenic and also definately rots away your teeth and gums, especially when used with lime.
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Melanie, What do you do with paan?
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It has culinary uses in Thai and Vietnamese cooking and is used as a digestive at the end of an Indian meal. If you follow the link back to the SF board in my original post above, you'll see that we've found a few sources locally. And a big duh for me, I've actually eaten these leaves in Vietnamese and Thai restaurants! One more Asian herb mystery solved.
Hope you can join us tomorrow for lunch at Woodlands and then South Asian food shopping in Newark, CA - I'm going to try the sweet Indian version, with any luck.
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The Woodlands in DC has paan on the menu. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I've heard that it is "interesting."
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Melanie,
Nothing substantive to add to the paan discussion, with the exception of this picture of paan being made at a Chicago area shop during the Chicago Chowhound Westernathon earlier this year.
My only additional comment is that, at first blush, I am not a paan fan.
Enjoy,
Gary
Image: http://www.sptsb.com/Western%20Pann%2...
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Thank you! There had been no posts about paan on the site that I could find. That does look complicated, doesn't it?
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I do have to say some things about the health risks of Paan. The evidence is pretty strong that you have about 130 times the risk of mouth cancer from using paan than not. It still hasn't been proved to be physically addictive but it is without doubt psychologically addictive, which is much worse. It IS a mind altering substance. It does produce a "high." Of course caffeine is a mind altering substance, and we know how mentally and physically addictive, that is well known for those who drink a lot and try to stop. But arecoline has a much stronger high and more depth of feeling.
Also while I enjoy an occasional paan, you will be spitting copious and I do mean non-stop mouthfuls of bright red, staining saliva. Up to several OUNCES of spit several times a minute. And it starts to stain you teeth right away.
Link: http://www.law.uh.edu/healthlawperspe...
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