INTOXICATING

Betel Nut

ARECA CATECHU

The betel nut palm rises gracefully to over thirty feet tall on a slim, dark green trunk, sports glossy dark leaves, and produces lovely white flowers that perfume tropical breezes. This palm is also responsible for the betel nut, an addictive stimulant that turns teeth black and saliva red. Four hundred million people around the world consume it.

The custom of chewing betel nuts dates back thousands of years. Seeds from 5000 to 7000 BC have been found in a cave in Thailand, and a skeleton from 2680 BC was found in the Philippines with teeth stained by the juice of the betel nut.

Like coca, the betel nut is stashed between the cheek and gum and is usually mixed with a little something extra to give it a kick. In India thin slices of the nut are wrapped in a fresh betel leaf with some slaked lime (calcium hydroxide extracted from ashes), a few Indian spices, and sometimes tobacco. The betel leaf used for the outer wrapping is the leaf of Piper betle, or “betel” vine, a low-growing perennial whose leaves are also a stimulant. In fact, the betel nut palm gets its name from its association with this unrelated, but synergistic, plant.

This packet of leaf and nut, often called a quid, has a bitter, peppery taste, and it releases alkaloids similar to nicotine. Users get an energy boost, a mild high, and more saliva than they know what to do with.

There’s only one way to handle the constant flow of red saliva from your mouth when you chew betel: spit it out (swallowing causes nausea). In countries where betel nuts are popular, the sidewalks are stained with red saliva. If this sounds unpleasant, consider poet and essayist Stephen Fowler’s description: “There is an almost orgasmic satisfaction to be found in the experience of saliva-ducts open to full throttle. Delicious above all is the aftermath: when the chew is finished, your mouth is left astonishingly fresh and sweet. You feel uniquely cleansed, drained, and purified.”

The betel nut is enjoyed throughout India, Vietnam, Papau New Guinea, China, and in Taiwan, where the government is trying to crack down on “betel nut beauties,” scantily clad women who sit in roadside stands and sell their products to truck drivers.

In addition to its addictive qualities—withdrawal symptoms include headaches and sweats—regular chewing of betel nuts leads to an increased risk of mouth cancer and may also contribute to asthma and heart disease. The use of betel is largely unregulated around the world, and public health officials worry that it could rival tobacco as a serious health threat.

Meet the Relatives    The betel nut palm is perhaps the best-known member of the Areca genus, which contains about fifty different species of palms. Its partner in crime, Piper betle, is related to P. nigrum, the source of black pepper, and P. methysticum, source of the mellow herbal supplement kava.