Mouth Fresheners

Mouth fresheners are the sweet, fragrant mixtures eaten in small pinches after a meal across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In Hindi and Gujarati they are called mukhwas, and every restaurant, wedding and family dinner ends with a bowl of them. Supari is areca nut, cut into fine pieces and often sweetened, coloured and flavoured with rose, cardamom or menthol. Other mixes are built on roasted fennel seeds, sesame, dhana dal and sugar coated saunf in bright colours.

Choose by how you serve them. Individual sachets travel well in a bag or the glovebox, and a box of them goes round at parties and mehndi nights. Loose mixes suit a decorative bowl or a silver mukhwas box on the dining table. Sweet supari and saunf mixes are made for adults, so keep them out of reach of small children.

Store packs sealed and away from heat and humidity, which turns sugar coatings sticky. To make your own mix, dry roast fennel seeds and sesame seeds, then toss with crushed cardamom and a little mishri. Mouth fresheners sit within nuts, dried fruit and seeds.