Betel nuts or paan in the East Bay?

[frolickingllama]

Is there anywhere in the Berkeley/Oakland area to get fresh betel nuts or fresh paan?

And what is dried paan? Do they come pre-packaged? Obviously, I know nothing. :)

[wolfe]

Please do not expectorate on the sidewalk.
http://www.food-india.com/ingredients...

[Robert Lauriston]

Betel nut, Milan would be the first place I'd check.

Berkeley Bowl sometimes has the fresh leaves. You might also try the Lao market or Mangal's in San Leandro.

[adrienne156]

Milan will definitely have both. SO and I were just musing over Berkeley Bowl West having paan a little over a week ago. Left half of the main produce shelf, third shelf down, near the eggplants.

[Melanie Wong]

Do the fresh betel leaves have a season? I noticed some at Namaste in Belmont this afternoon, 15¢ per leaf, and haven't spotted them there before.

[adrienne156]

In the States, I've seen paan eaten only on occasion so I don't know if a season exists here, but it is eaten year round in South Asia.

I'm pretty sure I've always seen it in the refrigerated case with the other greens at Milan.

[Melanie Wong]

Udupi Palace in Newark has fresh paan at the cashier stand. Maybe the Berkeley branch does as well.

[wolfe]

Both Udupi Palace Berkeley and Ajanta have the little dishes of "breath freshener" near the door. So that's paan. But fresh?

[Melanie Wong]

No, that's not it. The paan at Udupi Palace is wrapped in a fresh betel leaf, then packaged in foil triangles. And you buy it, not complimentary.

[wolfe]

So that's not paan.

[Melanie Wong]

Here's an old thread on paan and paanwalas.

[wolfe]

Aha! I found it. Edit after consideration: Eureka.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/26641

[Melanie Wong]

Thanx, I've driven 80 miles since my prev post and am sitting in front of a plate of beef chow fun. Missed the editing window.

[adrienne156]

No, that's mukhwas.