Supari (Mouth Freshener)
That's next to the cash register in the restaurant! Colorful post-prandial rejuvenation
Description
The identity of the colorful grains placed with a spoon in a small dish next to the cash register at Nepali/Indian restaurants. A mix of fennel seeds, crushed betel nuts (areca nuts), coriander seeds, and rock sugar. Chewed as 'natural breath care (palate cleanser)' to aid digestion and erase spice/garlic odors after meals.
Classification: Palate Cleanser, Post-meal Herb, Mixed Seeds
Shops selling Supari (Mouth Freshener)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Fennel seeds
- Rock sugar
- Betel nuts
- Coriander seeds
Instructions
- [Authentic Usage]
- [Mix (Commercial)]: Restaurants often use commercial 'Mixed Mukhwas (Supari)', but homes make it by lightly dry-roasting fennel seeds and mixing with finely crushed rock sugar.
- [Timing]: At the 'very end (after paying)' of a heavily spiced meal like Curry or Dal Bhat, take about half a tsp in the palm, toss it straight into the mouth, and crunch it up.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
Intense cooling sensation of fennel
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Irreplaceable. Push comes to shove, mint tablets like Frisk)
Pairing
After eating curry
Trivia
The 'conclusion of supreme hospitality' in Nepali restaurants. Chewing this after a full meal further heightens the satisfaction of 'Ah, that was delicious'.
Eating tips & etiquette
Safe to swallow, but if leftover fibers bother you, spit them into a paper napkin. The 'cooling' herbal aroma of fennel and rock sugar's sweetness instantly refresh a spice-coated mouth.
Allergen
None