Fiery Betel Leaves - a Burn-in-Your-Mouth Indian Delicacy That Delights Tourists

(Dan Tri) - On the streets of India, fire paan - a fiery betel leaf dish - attracts tourists with its unique way of serving, where the seller lights the dish on fire and then puts it directly into the customer's mouth, creating a strange culinary experience.

Paan is a traditional Indian snack consisting of fresh betel leaves coated with a very thin layer of lime, along with chopped areca nuts or dried fruits, nuts, jams, sugar and spices such as cardamom and cumin. Paan is usually chewed after meals to create a fragrant mouth and aid digestion.

Burning food in your mouth is a hit in India ( Video : Aamchi Mumbai).

According to Tasting Table , in the “fire” version – fire paan – the seller can add cloves or a small piece of flammable material and light it on fire right before serving it to the customer.

However, the fire often goes out quickly when entering the mouth due to lack of oxygen. Some shops even create flavor combinations such as chocolate, strawberry, or even “ice” paan (with ice) to create a feeling of both hot and cold.

The fiery betel quid is sold mainly in traditional shops, roadside stalls and some well-known establishments like Galaxy Paan in Rajkot, which is considered to be one of the origins of this version.

Betel leaves are burned before being put into the tourist's mouth (Photo: The National).

The price of each fiery betel leaf depends on the ingredients and where it is sold, ranging from a few dozen rupees (under 30,000 VND) at a roadside stall to higher levels at branded shops or “fancy” versions with luxury ingredients.

Many diners describe the experience of eating fiery betel leaves as “strange but interesting” with a slightly spicy, sweet and somewhat “exciting” feeling when eating on fire, while the smell of smoke enhances the aroma of the ingredient.

Some people think this is just a sales trick for those who want to check-in their trip with a video to post on social media.

Diners describe the dish as both spicy and sweet (Photo: Whatshot.in).

Some shop owners said they tested the formula many times, even spending dozens of days to perfect the technique to make it both safe and beautiful.

They also claim that the leaf folding technique helps the flame to extinguish quickly before it reaches the mouth, so customers will not get burned.

In addition to tourists' curiosity, Indian health experts and press warn that chewing betel leaves or eating areca nuts for a long time can increase the risk of oral cancer, according to recommendations from the World Health Organization.

So, whether or not the fire causes injury, the ingredients in this dish themselves pose a long-term health risk.

Tourists need to be careful when trying fiery betel (Photo: Tapas).

Furthermore, the trend of experimenting with this unique dish with new techniques such as using liquid nitrogen or smoke-creating chemicals has caused medical incidents.

Several incidents involving smokers or industrial preservatives have prompted doctors to warn of the risk of frostbite, esophageal and internal organ damage. Therefore, doctors advise tourists to be cautious and avoid overuse.

If you decide to try fiery betel, visitors should choose a reputable stall, observe the seller's actions, ask clearly about the ingredients and how to make the fire, and avoid versions that use strange chemicals.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/la-trau-boc-lua-mon-an-chay-trong-mieng-o-an-do-khien-du-khach-thich-thu-20251011150059847.htm