Topic started by honey (@ is4.publib.saskatoon.sk.ca) on Mon Oct 2 21:33:19 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
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Does any one how to make a silver varaq. For those of who are wondering what the heck it is, it is the silver decoration on sweets. Is it even possible to make it at home. |
Responses:
- From: KITKAT (@ 203.106.110.42)
on: Wed Oct 4 02:08:54 EDT 2000
As fas as I know this silver film for coating on sweets is made in Hydrabad by a group of Muslim who hand beat them to milli micron thicknesses. They then place these in between "butter paper" and sell it all over India. You can buy this in chennai in many shops especially in the town area (near flower bazaar)
I dont now where u can get in Canada:-)
- From: b (@ user1.pqproject.com)
on: Fri Oct 6 09:36:16 EDT 2000
What is it made of?
- From: sreeja (@ inetproxy.msxi.com)
on: Fri Oct 6 14:30:50 EDT 2000
Guys,
I possible don't use these silver foils over sweets bcos they are carcenogenic.
it's better to avoid them.
- From: honey (@ 24.67.53.163.sk.wave.home.com)
on: Sun Oct 8 23:25:56 EDT 2000
what is carcenogenic?
- From: KITKAT (@ hlr-42-31.tm.net.my)
on: Mon Oct 9 02:13:21 EDT 2000
carcenogenic means can lead to cancer. But I dont believe that, cause silver is often used by indians in medicines, etc . people even eat in silver plate and expect it to slowly wear off while eating (in mild quantities may be)
- From: b (@ user1.pqproject.com)
on: Mon Oct 9 10:20:04 EDT 2000
Varaq is not available where I live. So, I use Reynold's aluminum foil cut in small bits and I glue them on my sweets, shiny side out. All my friends really love those.
- From: honey (@ 24.67.53.163.sk.wave.home.com)
on: Wed Oct 11 15:41:04 EDT 2000
What are the other carogenic foods that we eat normally?
- From: KITKAT (@ hlr-42-28.tm.net.my)
on: Wed Oct 11 22:08:56 EDT 2000
I read somewhere that, dosai or any curry deep fried to almost black colour is mildly carcinogenic.
- From: honey (@ 24.67.53.163.sk.wave.home.com)
on: Tue Oct 17 19:08:48 EDT 2000
You are kidding me. We Indians eat a lot of deep fried black stuff and unfortunately love it. Should we stop it. I am just curious, is anyone in this chat room a doctor.
- From: vasuhi (@ 203.241.151.81)
on: Thu Oct 19 04:25:39 EDT 2000
all that glitters on sweets is not silver
be cautious
- From: JayBee (@ bkj-cache81.jaring.my)
on: Sat Oct 21 19:37:23 EDT 2000
Silver or gold that is beaten into very thin sheets is known commonly as 'rEkku' in Tamil.
This is used in dcorating sweets.
It is also used an an ingredient for Beeda.
In Madurai, you will find a small beeda shop, in front of the Central Cinema.
You can buy the gold rEk beeda or silver rek beeda.
The gold rek beeda used to cost 25 rupees, 30 years ago.
Silver was used in the Siddha/Ayurvedic treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Gold was used in the treatment of leprosy.
They are used as the base metal and their salts.
Silver baspam and thangga baspam are quite commonly known.
- From: JayBee (@ bkj-cache81.jaring.my)
on: Sun Oct 22 13:03:24 EDT 2000
By the way....does Paan Paraag contain varaq?
At present, it seems to be the rage and craze of Tamilnaadu.
- From: KITKAT (@ pm-82-75.tm.net.my)
on: Sun Oct 22 20:17:02 EDT 2000
Paan parak does not contain Varaq, it is a mixture of lime, tobacco, betulnuts etc. Beware it is carcinogenic, I have seen people ending with thier chin chopped off due to pan parak.
- From: JayBee (@ bkj-cache81.jaring.my)
on: Tue Oct 24 06:08:15 EDT 2000
So.......
You *are* from India.
- From: KITKAT (@ hlr-13-111.tm.net.my)
on: Tue Oct 24 21:26:50 EDT 2000
Ya, I am:)
- From: honey (@ 24.70.97.162)
on: Thu Oct 26 13:14:24 EDT 2000
JayBee - You had some informative message. Are you doctor?
- From: JayBee (@ bkj-cache81.jaring.my)
on: Thu Oct 26 19:04:19 EDT 2000
There are people in the Tamil cyberworld who would object if I say I am a doctor:-)
Let us put it this way, I am a medicine man by profession.
- From: honey (@ 24.70.97.162)
on: Fri Oct 27 00:16:57 EDT 2000
Interesting!!!!
- From: Ravi Sundaram (@ 192.149.1.187)
on: Fri Oct 27 08:27:06 EDT 2000
It might be true that Indians are heavily exposed
to gold and silver and dont seem be affected adversely by it. But that does not mean it is safe.
It is very well known that heavy metals like lead
and mercury are poisonous. Very likely gold and
silver will be bad for health. May be traditional
Indian medecine considered them to safe and useful. But I have my doubts.
Human body has shown remarkable ability to take
a beating and still keep on ticking! How many
smokers have lived well into their 70s! In the
West the fear of lead poisoning is all pervasive!
Routinely home buyers are adviced to check for
lead paint in homes built before 1970s. Lead paint
found in cheap venetian blinds for Windows created
an uproar. A school playground was formerly a
smelting shop and they found lead in the ground
there was a hue and cry and moms were marching
with placards asking the school district to
scoop up the earth and "safely dispose" it.
Folks, I grew up drinking rasam boiled in LEAD
pots. My entire family drank rasam made in lead
pots every day. I stopped drinking lead pot rasam only after my wedding. Even now when I visit
my parents I enjoy the taste of lead-pot-rasam.
Only I wont give any to my daughter :-)
But there is absolutely no doubt lead is poisonous. The west's reaction is a overreaction.
But the Indians accepting any heavy metal
just because "it has always been part of the
diet, environment etc, and my grandma was immersed
in this stuff for 90 years of her life" too is
not the correct response.
I dont think there is any systematic study of
effects of exposure to silver or gold and till
it is done, it is better to avoid it.
- From: JayBee (@ sp-69-91.tm.net.my)
on: Fri Oct 27 23:13:40 EDT 2000
>>>>From: Ravi Sundaram (@ 192.149.1.187) on: Fri Oct 27 08:27:06 EDT 2000
Human body has shown remarkable ability to take a beating and still keep on ticking! In the West the fear of lead poisoning is all pervasive! Folks, I grew up drinking rasam boiled in LEAD pots. My entire family drank rasam made in lead pots every day. I stopped drinking lead pot rasam only after my wedding. Even now when I visit my parents I enjoy the taste of lead-pot-rasam. <<<<<
I think, here, you actually have translated the term, 'iiyam puusiya piththaLai paaththiram'.
Vessels are never made with Lead.
Well, that 'iiyam' is not Lead. It is Tin. Tin is used for coating copper and brass vessels.
Hence, piththaLaip paaththirams are coated with iiyam.
Un'iiyam'ed paaththirams tend to get coated with 'kaLimbu' - salts of copper which are considered to be poisonous.
They are.
So, they are puusuRaan with iiyam so that kaLimbu is not formed.
Tin, as you know, is less corruptive.
It is commonly used for coating 'tin-cans or drums or pots or pails' which are actually made of iron sheets. So prevalent is the occurance that such containers are commonly called, 'arisi thagaram' or 'paal tin' in Tamil. In fact, canned milk is known as 'tin paal'.
Aluminum came into use recently.
Tin is known as 'VeLLiiyam' and Lead is known as 'Kaariiyam'.
Kaariiyam is not used in such 'kaariyam's.
- From: JayBee (@ bkj-cache81.jaring.my)
on: Sat Oct 28 10:44:16 EDT 2000
Tin-coating is also known as 'kalaay puusudhal'.
- From: JayBee (@ bkj-cache81.jaring.my)
on: Sun Oct 29 08:44:13 EST 2000
Varaq or Rek has also got another use, apart from being used in Beedaa or sweets or medically.
Have you heard of the term, 'pon elzhuththukkaLaal podriththal'?
- From: honey (@ 24.70.97.162)
on: Sun Oct 29 11:18:05 EST 2000
This topic is taking a whole new interesting turn that I didn't expect. Keep talking.
- From: Sundar (@ ip9.79.blca.blazenet.net)
on: Mon Dec 18 12:18:05 EST 2000
I work in R&D for dental materials, and I have to often evaluate materials for biocomaptibility. Gold, silver, platinum, palladium etc are used extensively in restorations that are used in the long term in the body. They are very biocompatible, and are not carcinogenic at all.
If they were you would have large numbers of people with "thanga-p-pal" and mouth cancer!
Now you want to talk about lead, nickel, chromium etc that is a different story.
Now I seriously hope the person who was talking about using Reynolds aluminum foil in place of silver sheet was kidding - please tell me you are!
Sundar
- From: Priya (@ nasdgw1.nasd.com)
on: Mon Dec 18 17:22:19 EST 2000
Is titanium carcinogenic?
- From: Hemant (@ 203.199.224.244)
on: Tue Dec 19 06:36:56 EST 2000
As usual, I have entered this thread LAST,So It is fitting that I should have the last word.
VARQ is made of Gold and Silver.
IF I TELL THE PROCESS OF MAKING, NONE OF YOU WILL EVER EAT VARQ.
THE PROCESS.
First of all, the varq making units are always located near Abattoir where the Varq makers obtain the intestines of of freshly butchered calfs .The Varq can only be made using fresh intistinesof calves.
A piece of silver or gold is placed carefully in the fresh cut piece of the intestine and then placed between the folds of calf skin layers.The foil makers go on pounding the leather pieces with a wooden mallet for hours.
When the job is over, the leather skin is opened and the foil pieces are seperated on a butter paper and VARAQ is transfered.
When I saw the process, I stopped eating Varaq about twentyfive years back
It is not good to eat heavy metals.They are cancer forming.
But silver in extremely minute doses kills all the bacteria from water .
It is very healthy to eat in silver plates.
- From: Sundar (@ ip9.79.blca.blazenet.net)
on: Tue Dec 19 08:02:16 EST 2000
Priya:
Titanium is not carcinogenic. I wouldn't snort it like cocaine or eat tiny bits of it for fun =)
however it is also used in making implants for dental purposes, replacement hip joints, artificial bone plates etc.
So no it is not carcinogenic by contact. Quite the opposite, it actually forms very strong bonds to bone and is also considered biocompatible as well as strong. Note that Ti is used in applications that take a much higher load than gold etc.
Best wishes,
Sundar
- From: Priya (@ nasdgw1.nasd.com)
on: Tue Dec 19 10:49:41 EST 2000
Thanks Sundar. I wanted to know about titanium as somebody I know should get a surgery done for their weak shoulder where a piece of titanium will be used.
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