Food Stall Owner Shoves Flaming Hot Dishes In Customers' Mouths

The food is always hot at Pradhuman Shukla’s food stall in Delhi, India.

Shukla sells paan, a traditional dish made of betel leaf stuffed with fillings like areca nut, and occasionally, tobacco. Paan can be chewed as a stimulant and either spat out or swallowed.

The paan Shukla sells is made with sweet masala, a little ice and a concentrated squash drink called Rooh Afza.

Oh, there’s one other variation: Shukla lights the paan on fire before shoving it into customers’ mouths.

Like this:

Yes, putting hot flame directly into your mouth is the sort of thing that gave birth to the phrase “Don’t try this at home,” but Shukla claims the fire actually provides a cool sensation once inside the mouth.

“We know it’s a bit risky, but people are enjoying it,” he told Barcroft TV. “People get scared when they see it for the first time. But all of them try it once. It doesn’t have any side effects.”

Shukla claims that his paan for pyromaniacs is completely safe.

“Some people may not find it tasty, but no one has been hurt with it,” he said.

We’ll stick with hot sauce when we want a little extra heat.