Betel Nuts in Taiwan

I was told about betel nuts before I every actually saw one or noticed anyone eating them. However, it in now way prepared me for my first encounter. I was walking down the street when a man walked toward me. With a thick Taiwanese accent, he said, “Welcome, please come in my friend.” He followed this short statement with a huge, tooth showing smile. For a split-second I was parallized and speechless. His teeth and gums were blood red and juice was running down his teeth. I then noticed that his upper lip and areas of his face were beaded with sweat. For a moment I thought he might have some exotic decease like ebola where a person dies as they bleed from their eyes and mouth. A few minutes after my panic attack, he spit red juice and I realized he was eating the infamous betel nuts I had heard about.

I was told that betel nuts are popular among the blue collar working class as well as bus and taxi drivers. The betel nut is very addictive and has several side effects. It can warm the body (thus popular in the winter among those working outside), it reduces drowsiness (popular with taxi, truck and bus drivers), and it gives an energy boost. Apparently the betel nut is very, very popular in Taiwan because there are several shops in each downtown block selling it.

Finding a betel nut shop is simple. Just look for a green starburst type light with a radiating blinking pattern. There are no other lights similar. About half of the betel nut shops have large plate glass windows surrounded by green neon tube lights framing a sexy girl in skippy clothes who is selling and preparing betel nuts for sale.

I got a chance to sample a betel nut one evening. I was told to chew or bite off one end of the nut and prepare for lots of spitting. You are not supposed to swallow the juice, only suck on it in your mouth and spit it out. The same goes for the nut. Swallow nothing, only chew, suck and spit. In my opinion the taste is terrible. It is very tart and slightly bitter and certainly not something I’d enjoy. I suspect it is something like smoking or beer in that it is an acquired taste. But, I must say I found the whole experience interesting and afterward I had a slight feeling of a buzz from a single nut and I’m not sure if I’d want to experience the feeling of chewing several nuts in a row.

1. Gather the ingredients needed to chew betel nut. You will need the green betel nut (buai), a jar or bag of lime powder (kambang) and a bean-like green called mustard (daka). These can be bought on any street corner for about one Kina (30 cents).
2. Break the betel nut open by cracking the shell with your teeth.Break the betel nut open by cracking the shell with your teeth. Take the meaty center out of the shell and start chewing it. Do not swallow the fibrous residue of the nut as it is said to cause stomach aches.
3. 

   Eating my first betel nut; it tastes terrible!

   Chew the betel nut for 2-5 minutes or until it forms a wad in your mouth. Chew the betel nut for 2-5 minutes or until it forms a wad in your mouth.

4. Slightly moisten the mustard seed with your mouth and dip it into the jar/bag of lime powder.Slightly moisten the mustard seed with your mouth and dip it into the jar/bag of lime powder.
5. Move the betel nut wad to the side of your mouth and then bite off the piece of mustard seed that has the lime powder on it.Move the betel nut wad to the side of your mouth and then bite off the piece of mustard seed that has the lime powder on it. Make sure to not put the lime directly on your mouth or gums as they will feel a burning sensation. Instead try to bite the mustard seed directly into the betel nut wad. As you chew the mixture together, they will form a chemical reaction that will make your teeth and lips red and provide a mild high.
6. Know that as you chew, spit out the fibrous residue of the nut as needed. Most people just spit on the street so there is often red splattering of betel nut all along the street and sidewalks.
7. Keep chewing until there is no more betel nut left. You may have a mild euphoric feeling because of betel nuts’ mild stimulant effects.

source: http://www.wikihow.com/Chew-Betel-Nut-in-Papua-New-Guinea