‘Perfumes you can eat..’: Zohran Mamdani eats 'elaichi' from popular Indian betel quid brand; social media reacts

Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York City, recently went viral on social media after a surprising moment during a street interview in Brooklyn, US, with Nicolas Nuvan, which had made the Indian viewers go crazy in a frenzy when he spotted eating a mouth freshener from a popular betel quid brand.

What exactly did the video show

When popular content creator Nicolas Nuvan asked if Mamdani has had his lunch, he replied that he had Chicken Shawarma. What followed next was completely unexpected, and it made viewers go completely gaga over his revelation, especially the Indian ones!Mamdani was spotted casually pulling out a packet of Rajnigandha silver pearls, a popular Indian mouth freshener made with saffron-blended cardamom seeds. This was shared by content creator Nicolas Nuvan and caught the attention and amusement of Indian social media users worldwide.Mamdani offered the mouth freshener to Nuvan, who described the taste as "delicious… like I’m consuming perfume," to which Mamdani said, "Perfumes you can eat."

Social media response

The video quickly drew comments highlighting the joyous cultural connection, with one user saying, "Omg never in my life I thought Rajnigandha would make it to New York,” and another said, "No way he just ate Rajnigandha (South Asians will relate)."

Who is Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani recently won the fiercely contested mayoral race to become New York City’s mayor, to bag the position as the youngest in over five decades and the first Muslim and first Indian-American to hold the office.

Celebrating his victory, Mamdani delivered a rousing speech grounded in hope during challenging times. He directly addressed former President Donald Trump, who had threatened to withhold federal funds if Mamdani won. Mamdani fired back with four words: "Turn the volume up".

Zohran Mamdani has Indian roots

Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, Uganda, to parents with Indian heritage, with his mother, Mira Nair, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a prominent academic.According to the official website of the New York Assembly, the family moved to New York City when Zohran was young. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and later earned a degree in Africana studies from Bowdoin College.Prior to his mayoral win, Mamdani served in the New York State Assembly representing Queens. His election drew a near-record turnout of over two million voters, underlining the broad appeal of his progressive platform focused on affordability, public transit, housing, and social justice.