Boutique dessert shop in Karachi sells paan for Rs. 1,000

KARACHI: Even the paan-eating habit in the subcontinent hasn’t been spared from brand consciousness sweeping the nation. First it was chai (tea), when a flurry of “chic” tea-sellers surfaced in affluent areas of Karachi, and now a new shop called Panwaari – meaning paan seller – has popped up in Bahadurabad area.

Paan is a combination of betel leaf and areca nut, often topped with a variety of sweet sauces, coconut, and sugary pastes, and the option to add tobacco. These novel paans, priced in the Rs. 100-1,000 range, are made with high-quality ingredients, and include areca nuts wrapped in paper made of silver and 24-carat gold.

A salesman explained some of the ingredients used, adding, “There is gold cardamom, gold almond, and gold dust.”

The exuberant “gold signature” paans, which have caused many to raise eyebrows, are sold in special tiny velvet bags, tied with silk ribbons. Regardless, a lot of people are flocking to the new shop.

“The best thing about this place is its quality. I believe that this marks a revival of the way of life in this region,” a customer said.

The shop itself isn’t any less in terms of creating a brand image. Air-conditioned – something in stark contrast to the dimly-lit, metallic kiosks selling paans on every other street’s corner and overflowing with snacks and cigarettes – Panwaari has customers lined up to find out what specialty it offers. It is also decorated with antique paandaans – small metal boxes used by older generations to make paans by themselves at home – that are reminiscent of the old Lakhnavi and Dehlvi traditions.

One of the managers commented that the shop’s focus is on hygiene. “We have upgraded the paans; families love coming to our shop.”

An apparent edge is the huge assortment of flavours offered, which include chocolate, mint, coffee, saffron, pineapple, dry fruit, honey, mixed berries, lychee, cherry, peach, blueberry, green apple, raspberry, strawberry, kiwi, lemon, and mango. However, most paanwalas have already diversified into newer variants.