English
বাংলা
The story
The Khasi (often written Khasia in Bangladesh) are an indigenous people whose homeland straddles the hills of Meghalaya in India and the north-eastern edge of greater Sylhet. In Bangladesh they live in hill villages called punjis, each led by a headman known as the mantri. Most punjis are in Moulvibazar district, around Kulaura, Barlekha, Kamalganj and Sreemangal, with a few more in Sylhet and Habiganj. Growing betel leaf has long been at the centre of Khasi life, and in many punjis it is the main source of income.
What sets Khasia paan apart is the way it is grown. Plains farmers raise betel vines inside a barouj, a low enclosure of bamboo and straw. Khasi growers instead plant the vines at the foot of tall trees on the hill slopes and let them climb the trunks, so the vineyard is really a patch of managed forest known as a paan jum. Men climb the trees, often on bamboo ladders, to pick the leaves; women wash, sort and stack them into bundles that Bengali traders come up to the punjis to buy. Writers who visited the punjis note that this system keeps the hills wooded and the streams clean.
That way of life is fragile. Many punjis stand on land sub-leased from tea estates or on forest land, and newspapers have reported repeated disputes in which betel vines and the trees that carry them were cut down. Vine diseases and dry spells also force families to move. When you buy Khasia paan, you are buying from one of the country's smaller communities.
How to spot the real Khasia paan
Khasia paan is generally described as a larger, sturdier leaf than the soft, sweet paan of Rajshahi or Maheshkhali, deep green with clear veins and a sharper, more pungent taste, which is why many chewers in Sylhet prefer it. Fresh leaves are crisp and glossy, with green, moist stalk ends. Yellowing, black patches, limp edges or a sour smell mean the leaves are past their best. There is no certification for Khasia paan, and leaf grown elsewhere can be sold under the name, so origin rests on what the seller can tell you: which punji or upazila, and whether they buy directly from Khasi growers.
Buying tips
Ask where the leaves come from, when they were picked, how many leaves are in each bundle and whether they are graded by size. Sturdier leaves travel better than very soft ones, but they still need air: ask for them to be wrapped in damp cloth or banana leaf inside a ventilated box rather than sealed in plastic. Check how long the courier takes to reach your area, and buy a small bundle first to see whether the taste suits you.
Each shop on Midmart sets its own delivery charge, so if you order paan from one seller and supari from another, expect two deliveries and two charges. Midmart does not take your payment or handle the parcel; the seller settles payment and shipping with you directly. If supporting Khasi growers matters to you, ask the seller plainly how they source the leaf.
Keeping it fresh
Unpack the leaves on arrival, remove any damaged ones and wrap the rest loosely in a clean, damp cloth. Keep them somewhere cool and shaded, or in a box in the lower part of the fridge, and check them daily. Do not soak them. Well kept, firm leaves usually last about a week.
Find Khasia paan on Midmart
Search Midmart for “khasia paan”
Shops from where it is made
No shop from Moulvibazar is on Midmart yet.
Every shop on Midmart collects payment its own way and arranges its own delivery — Midmart never handles your money or your parcel. Delivery is charged per shop: order from three shops and you pay three delivery charges.
Estimate a delivery charge