Paan is an antiseptic that freshens the breath and is also an ayurvedic aphrodisiac medicine. Myriad are the uses of paan. It cures headaches, joint pain and arthritis as well as toothaches. In some places it serves the purpose of an antibiotic and a digestive medicine. It cures constipation, congestion and helps in lactation. It even helps in ridding the body of worms. Unani stream of medicine claims that paan is a sweet smelling stimulant that prevents flatulency. It stops bleeding. Applying heated paan as a foment, especially in the case of children cures stomach troubles. Drinking betel leaves boiled with black pepper can cure indigestion. An application of ground paan leaves on the temples, or few drops of its juice on the nostrils, gives relief from headaches. In cases of acute constipation a well-greased stalk can be inserted in the rectum can give instant relief to children. Paan leaves placed on an open wound works wonders within a day or two. Greased with oils and placed on the breasts of nursing mothers, paan promotes lactation. Eating paan is good for colds and coughs. In acute cases heat the leaf and rub it with oil on the chest. Coriander and mint kept tucked in paan retain their freshness. It may be taken as a concoction of tea for good health. This eliminates body odour emanating from sweat and menstruation. Gums and teeth are kept healthy by chewing it. Betel leaves relieves nerve disorders, exhaustion and pain and in many cases a concoction with diluted sweetened milk eases urination. Mixed with honey it is a good tonic. It helps in respiratory trouble that affects the lungs of young and old. Sore throat, inflammation is cured with the local application of paan paste. Boils can be treated with paan.

Scientists in Calcutta (Indian Institute of Chemical Biology) claim that in paan lies a potential cure for leukemia. A molecule from it has destroyed cancer cell without harmful side effects. This discovery has led to the experiment being carried out in other parts of the West and Japan. In all cases leukemia cells are totally destroyed. The same effect showed on experiments with mice. Clinical trials with humans have yet to be started. If successful, cancer treatment will become cheap and affordable. The journal of the Hematological Society of America has accepted this study for publication in its journal. There is a growing fear about the connection between paan and oral cancer but this has not been conclusively established

Paan is often used for cooking. Meat is cooked wrapped in paan leaves and cooked. Other fillings like shrimps, shallots and peanuts are often used in South East Asia. Platters are decorated with paan leaves.
Reference to the use of betel leaf goes back more than two thousand years, in an ancient Pli book of Srilanka, ‘Mahawamsa’. In the Vedas too there is reference to paan being the first offering to the guru. Bulath Pdhaya is a special dance mentioned in the Kohomba Kankariya of Srilanka. According to legend a king was troubled by divodasa – a recurring nightmare that made him ill. But a dance carrying paan leaves performed before the king cured him. Here the sacred and practical are entwined in poetic beauty excellence. The West too has taken up the paan culture with gusto.

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Chocolate, that mouthwatering treat that sends our senses swimming in ecstasy as it melts in our mouth, has often been touted as food for the gods.  In its early beginnings in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, chocolate was indeed food of the gods, consumed in religious rituals and closely associated with the Aztec goddess of fertility, Xochiquetzal.Archeologists studying ancient Mesoamerican culture suggest that the Mayans have been drinking chocolate as far back as 2,600 years ago.  This suggestion was prompted by the chocolate residue found in an ancient Mayan pot dating around the same time.  Compared to the chocolate we know now, however, the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican chocolate is drunk, not eaten, and it was spicy and bitter.  This ancient chocolate drink is made from cacao and mixed with vanilla, chili pepper and achiote.  Sometimes, this chocolate drink was taken in with maize and honey.

Another thing about ancient chocolate, aside from its bitter and spicy taste, is that it is a very precious commodity, consumed only by the nobles of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.  It was even said that cacao beans served as a form of currency during their heyday.  Chocolate was also drunk mostly during religious festivals and was said to relieve fatigue among its drinkers.

European knowledge of the existence of chocolate, among many other things, came to be when Christopher Columbus landed in the New World.  He brought with him cacao beans when he returned to Spain, and these he presented to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella upon his return.  Afterwards, chocolate became popular in Europe through the efforts of Hernando Cortes Pizarro.  To suit European tastes, the original recipe for the chocolate drink was modified.  The spicy taste was removed by taking chili pepper from the recipe and was replaced by milk and sugar to sweeten it.  By the 1600s, the chocolate drink became a luxury drink enjoyed largely by the nobility and the wealthy.

In the late 1700s, the method of making chocolate into a solid form for eating as candy was developed in Turin, Italy.  In 1819, F. L. Cailler opened the first factory to mass-produce chocolate candy in Switzerland.

A significant development in the production of chocolate drinks and candies occurred with the Dutchman Coenraad Johannes van Houten discovered in 1828 a process for removing fat from cocoa beans.  This enabled the production of cocoa butter and powdered cocoa for use in various recipes using chocolate.  Van Houten also discovered a process of treating chocolate with alkali, which made the chocolate taste sweeter and less bitter.

In 1867, Swiss candlemaker and chocolatier Daniel Peter found a way to produce candies made of milk chocolate, which he started selling by 1875.  Soon his friend Henri Nestle helped him find a way to remove water from the milk and thus reduce the risk of chocolate developing mildew.  The two friends soon formed the Nestle Company in 1879.  Nestle, S.A. is now one of the largest multinational companies in Switzerland.

Chocolate has a very long history, and to date it remains to be one of the world’s favorite treats.  It was once the food of the gods, and the food of the gods it will always be.

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ICE CREAM
Hot summers mean the scorching sun, sweat dripping down your forehead and sun burns.  It also means beaches, swimming, air conditioned rooms and tongue tingling ice creams.
Ice creams are desserts liked by kids and grown ups. It’s one dish you really can’t resist. Made with sweeteners, flavoring and dairy products, this dessert tops the chart in favorite dishes.
The preparation of ice creams is one which has to be done with a lot of care. Being very prone to have crystal formations, this is made by stirring it very slowly and continuously. The final product is a smooth and creamy ice cream. These are served in cups and cones. Every bite of the ice cream fills your mouth with a taste you love and a chillness which helps you beat the summer heat.
Though ice is nearly as old as our planet, ice creams came into existence not too many centuries ago. The Chinese have been the pioneers in many fields and we have to thank them for inventing the ice cream. With no fixed date or confirmed forefather, ice creams first came into the limelight in about 200 B.C.  The first ice cream was made by freezing rice flour and milk mixed together.
Many kings loved the taste of different flavors on ice. King Tang who belonged to Shang in China tried a new recipe. He mixed camphor, flour and buffalo milk and froze it to make his version of the ice cream.  This happened between 618-97 A.D.
To pamper their sweet tooth, many Roman emperors sent their slaves to fetch ice from high mountain tops, flavored it with sweeteners like sugar and honey and formed their version of the dessert.
Alexander the Great was fond of ice topped with nectar and honey. King Solomon from the biblical ages too enjoyed iced beverages. Ice creams were a luxurious treat which only the rich could afford.
Now let’s come to the next question! From where did these kings get the idea of ice cream? Where else? Nature! It is the best teacher. Just look at penguins! They freeze their fishes on blocks of ice and then eat them.
Now, with the kings all enjoying the ice creams, it was still a long time before ice creams became a public affair. It was in the 16th century when ice creams were made public. Still it was too expensive for the common man to enjoy its flavors.
The common man then began making ice cream at home. They started by mixing couple of sweet ingredients together and just freezing them. Little kids poured their fruit juices into small containers of different shapes and froze them. Though the ice creams had crystals in them, people were just happy to enjoy the frozen desserts. To try and give their kids different tastes, mothers began freezing milk, coffee, custard and yoghurt.
So the ice creams made at home in large bowls and filled with crystals became a dessert. In 1846, Nancy Johnson found that salt was a very vital ingredient in ice cream making. She invented the hand-cranked freezer. This is a product that we still find in the households of many developing countries. The freezer had a handle which had to be turned around regularly to avoid the crystals from forming. She filled the exteriors of the freezer with ice and salt. Salt blended with the ice and slowed down the melting process. Nancy Johnson has given us this great invention but somehow she never registered her invention and so doesn’t have a patent for it.
In 1848, a Mr. Young registered the hand-cranked freezer and gave it the name the Johnson patent hand-cranked freezer. This gave the people, a chance to make better ice cream and in bigger quantities. Ice cream became a must for all functions. Where there was a celebration, people wanted to have ice creams and so the demand for ice cream was always far more than the supply.
Nearly 80 years later in 1926, a continuous ice cream processor was invented. This gave the way for commercial ice cream. Now, ice cream could be made in huge quantities and stored for even longer durations. The more the production increased, the more the prices dropped making ice creams more famous and affordable for all classes.
Now ice cream is nearly a part of our staple diet. There are so many ice cream companies all over the world that it is even difficult to give an approximate count. With more companies venturing into this field, the flavors too have increased dramatically.
Vanilla and chocolate may be the world’s fastest and most selling flavors but then you can find a flavor to match your mood and taste. To make ice creams more interesting various other side dishes have been introduced. Opposites attract and so many time ice creams are served with hot dishes. Nuts, walnuts and cashew nuts are chopped finely and then added as a topping over the ice creams. Honey and fruits too make a good combination with ice creams.
Every country has its special ice cream flavors and brands.  While King Tang introduced ice creams to China. Traveler Marco Polo took this dessert to Italy. Charles I refused to let out the recipe of his ice cream. He even paid his chefs huge amounts to keep the recipe a secret. Phillip Lenzi was the first to advertise and sell ice creams in New York. Thomas Webb of Toronto brought this dessert into Canada in the late 18th century.
The world has changed and so has the appearance of the ice cream stalls. We now have vendors who serve ice creams in small trolleys to those who have huge air conditioned concept ice cream shops. Ice cream shops which look like igloos or a star lit night are common sites to see these days.
The people today are all crazy about sweets and some even suffer from diabetes. Since diabetics can’t eat sweets, ice creams too became a strict NO. Thanks to some scientists and clever confectioners, who came up with the no sugar diabetes ice-cream. The carbohydrates in the milk too are cause for concern and so instead of milk soya milk is used or the milk is skimmed to reduce the fat content.
Whether, you are big or small. Whether, it’s hot or cold. Whether, it’s raining or dry, it is always perfect to eat ice creams. So, grab your favorite flavor and just dive in.

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