Lucknow Paan tradition evokes memories when mornings began with the sound of birds & not notifications, it was the time when memories were stored in conversations not online hard drives. And evenings were full of adventures whether you were indoors or outdoors. With these simplest routines, there were simple snacks that shaped the culture.
Let’s go back to one such memory of eating paan, which stayed part of a cultural gesture that was offered with respect and received with grace.
Fast forward to current times when you can’t help but reminisce days when you executed the perfectly planned crime usually scheduled around grandma’s nap time to get your hands in that thoughtfully arranged dream box AKA, the Paan daan. This box made an expected sound every time when We, “the intruders” attempted to open it as if it was trying to talk us out of our impure intentions of stealing a spoonful of Gulkand from it. But Alas! we were no naive thieves and had learned how to open these things silently with our innocent tricks, grab the essentials as per mood and tip toe out of the crime scene much satisfied with our hunt. Ready and confident for same time same place the next day…
There were also days when we went overboard with our greed and confidence due to stressful homework assignments and snuck a little too much of the dream box components, right? Just a little more than usual of Saunf, Misri, Elaichi and Gulkand all in one go and later regretted our life choices? I remember practicing my “innocent-guilt-free face” a million times if in case I got caught during such stunts.
In between stealing from grandma’s paan daan to becoming grandpa’s walk buddy, life changed and it seems like those stolen Gulkand were tastier somehow than the ones bought now!? Anyways, the memory of it is recalled with the same intensity as it was lived back in those days. The great thing is that this Noble tradition still lives on. And it is a delicate part of any formal dinners even today.
At this point, I’m going to take you further back in time when pan consumption was a symbol of hospitality, honor, taste and sophistication. Being a status symbol of Nawabs of Lucknow, the paan daans were enriched with silver leaves, rare spices, and perfumed betel nuts. The list kept increasing as per the individual’s preference and style. This isn’t all there is about paan tradition. A perfectly folded paan leaf was seen as a symbol of grace. In gatherings of poetry, music and storytelling paan was always served as it kept the mouth fresh and added a sense of luxury to the setting.
Obviously, there was such a thing as pan experts among females of the time. The styles took another level of intricate folding art and beautifully decorated paans with Silver varks that were believed to cool the body and aid digestion, making it a popular must have after heavy Mughlai meals.
The Gulkand, Misri, Coconut, and Rose that we once snuck out ever so skillfully in our times date back to its roots in Nawabi experimentation with flavors to please royal guests.
◈ Relive the vibes of all such moments with a 21st century twist to it in our myco minute here ◈
