turning over a new (betel) leaf

Having grown up in New Guinea, betel leaf, with its highly addictive qualities is not new to me.  I spent much of my childhood stepping careful to avoid the just-spat scarlet sprays so when the lovely Varun bought out a bottle of curiously irridescently lime liqueur for us to finish yet another spectacular Indian feast at Manjits, my automatic response was to decline.

Yet there was something curiously compelling in way the colour spilled over the ice and once Varun unveiled its heritage, valour overcame discretion.  A waft of rose, a hit of musk and, then, wow, just like a great big liquid musk stick.  

Paan Liqueur is a combination of betel leaf, betel nuts, herbs and spices,distilled and combined in a sugar syrup & finally "diluted in the pure glacial waters of the Himalayas".  While the latter may just be marketing spin, there was elegance in balance, with just a slight hint of pepper at the end.  And there was definitely a risk of slipping into the second, third, and fourth glass but that must have been the pull of the betel leaf surely!

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