Varanasi is a city of spirituality and it has many things it is famous for, whether its Banarasi Sarees, Ghats, or Dishes. Similarly Banaras is also a well-known city for Paan. We have a preconceived notion that chewing Paan is not good for health. But again the ingredients are what makes it healthy or unhealthy. Generally, a pan is prepared by covering areca nut and lime. With regard to this areca nuts should be avoided since it is not good for health. But again, the betel leaf has several medicinal benefits.
Banaras holds the highest variety of Paans; now let’s look at 20 varieties of Paan famous in Banaras and which has an extensive variety.
1.Banarasi Saada Paan
It is a Paan which has a taste of sweet betel leaf and dice betel nut (supari) which makes it special. This Paan is mostly liked by people of old age.
2.Banarasi Meetha Paan
It is a paan which contains the taste of fresh paan leafs with an exciting aroma which is a treat for the taste buds. Young generations mostly prefer this type of paan.
3.Banarasi Zarda Paan
It is famous for its masala taste and mint flavour which gives the mouth a long lasting freshness.
4.Banarasi Navratan Paan
It carries the taste of fresh spices like cardamom along with some areca nuts which makes it unique from other types of Paans. Banarasi Navratan Paan includes an amazing taste of gulkand along with mint, cherries, and sauf.
5.Banarasi Gulab Paan
It has a taste of fruit syrups and flavoured gulkand. Many taste buds that demand variety prefer this eccentric pair. This pan is mostly preferred by sweet lovers.
6.Banarasi Gujiya Paan
It forms an attractive shape of Gujiya in the Paan. It holds a taste of tooty-fruity and gulkand which makes it tasty and refreshing. It can be enjoyed by any age group as it serves a unique blend of cardamom and fennel seeds.
7.Banarasi Amavat Paan
It has a stunning taste as it stands out in a crowd with a special taste of Aam papad. This paan is a combination of different types of Paans as it has a sweet as well as a sour taste. This Paan is mostly served in marriages to entertain guests with delicious food.
8.Banarasi Panchmeva Paan
It is an exclusive fusion of five dry fruits like coconuts, dates, nuts (shiraungi), gumresin, and molasses. This Paan gives a taste of five unusual spice. It is also called as healthy Paan as it includes healthy nuts and fruity flavour. This Panchmeva Paan gives an amazing taste of mint and sweet flavour to the mouth.
9.Banarasi Bengal Paan
It has a blend of taste of different Paans such as Misti Paan, Bengal Paan, and Chahi Paan. They are infused with a variety of spices such as fennel seeds, glazed cherries, elaichi dana, gulkand, and sauf. This Paan has a royal and strong taste of Bengal which makes it different from other Paans.
10.Banarasi Mukut Paan
It has recently come into the market. It has shown a great acceptance within youngsters; it has a unique shape of a crown which makes this paan different from other Paans and its taste is the unique mixture of the traditional kind of Paan with a modern twist. It has a variety of different fennel seeds with a fruity syrup.
11.Banarasi Variety Paan
Do you often see uncles and neighbours continuously chewing their heart out with all their redness on their teeth? Well that is when you know they have Banarasi variety Paan. It is the typical old style Banarasi Paan which locals love to have.
12.Banarasi Flavoured Paan
This type of Paan which is very frequently found in every other shop in local areas consists of a lot of texture and flavours that comprises fruit syrups, chocolate pieces, and flavored Gulkand. What makes it different from another variety of Paans is that it has a very attractive smell and unique aroma.
13.Lucknowi Paan
Lucknowi Paan – Lucknowi Paan or better known as Gilori Lucknowi Paan highlights the true colours of Lucknow with its royal taste and richness of dry fruits. It is famous for its exceptional filling poured into a cone-shaped leaf and then served after meals. It has very rich flavour and occupies your one-third of your stomach after the delicacy is taken after the meal.
14.Banarasi Chaman Bahar Paan
This is altogether a different variant in the series of Banarasi Paan. The leaf that is selected to make this type of Paan are the young lush green leafs. The beetle plants need to be grow only five to six days to accomplish certain texture in making this chaman bahar Paan. People make this Paan often by adding some work of chandi on top.
15.Hajma Pachak Paan
As the name suggests Hajma Pachak Paan is the Indian digestive powder mixture that is churan. People who have trouble consuming the powder directly use taste enhancers for its consumption through Paan.
16.Chocolate Paan
The Chocolate Paan offered in Banaras comprises of grated chocolate, cherry mixture, fennel seeds, elaichi dana, gulkand, and mixed sauf. This Paan has an exotic flavour of fresh mint ensuring great taste and aroma. All these ingredients are best to serve in cone shape fresh leaf with delicious silver jaggery. The Chocolate Paan is frequently consumed by younger people.
17.Kesar Mix Paan
It has a rich flavour of kesar and elaichi which gives it a unique combination of health and taste. The coating of chandi on an upper layer of this Paan makes it more beautiful and attractive. Kesar Mix Paan has real, unadulterated ingredients so that anyone can consume it. This Paan acts as a taste changer if taken after a heavy meal.
18.Chuski Paan
This Paan has a cool flavour of methanol and ice with a variety of fruity syrups. It also contains cherry, elaichi dana, and silver jaggery.
19.Banarasi Rajratan Paan
This Paan is a delightful combination of luxury and class, though expensive for some. Royals consider it as their signature Paan because of the quality of ingredients that are used to prepare this Paan.
20.Banarasi Paan Gila Bhang
It is a fruitful mixture of desi bhang with a variety of syrups and sauf. For all those bhang and thandai lovers who love to celebrate holi with a little twist, are in for a great deal of enjoyment.
All this type of Paans are incomplete without an expert. Banaras is a city where we can find a vast variety of Paans at every step. There are many famous Paan shop in Varanasi where we can have all this varieties. Few of the famous shops are Banaras Paan Store at Lanka, Chourasia Paan Bhandar at Beniya Bhag, Keshav Paan Bhandar at Ravidas gate, Ramchandra Chourasia Tambhul Bhandar at Chowk, Gopalji Paan Walah at Bhelupur, Mucchad Paan walah at Sankat Mochan, and Mishra Paan Bhandar at Pandeypur.
