Chewing of betel nut is akin to smoking in most of SE Asia. Chewing betel nut is an old age practice-perhaps more than 4000 years old. The betel nut is broken into small pieces and placed in the mouth. The nut is slowly crushed and the sap is sucked. The small amount of oily water soluble residue is then swallowed. The betel nut is obtained from the Arexa catechu tree, a palm like tree in SE Asia. Today, various formulations of the chewable nut are available. The nut is grinded or chopped into small pieces and placed inside a pepper leaf with small amount of lime, various spices (nutmeg, tumeric, cloves, chilli, coconut, sugar) or even tobacco.
These small green leafed packages are widely available in most Asian stores across the nation. Chewing betel nut is similar to chewing tobacco. All over Asia, one can see young man with their mouth full of this concoction. Unlike tobacco, the saliva is swallowed and not spit out. Because the nut is hard, the chewing can go on for hours. While it may look socially acceptable, it sure is not going to get you any type of professional job.
Asians have been aware of the stimulant properties of betel nut for centuries. The product is widely available and is relatively cheap. Claims are that chewing on the betel nut can elevate the spirit and relax the mind. Others have even found it to be a sex stimulant. In fact, it is widely believed that betel nut chewing can prolong erections and is frequently added as gift at bridal showers and at weddings.
There are reports that many young men in SE Asia chew on the nut and then take a love making break, instead of a coffee break. The ready to hump sensations last at least for 30-45 minutes.
The chief purpose of chewing betel nut is to extract out the alkaloids from it- the major one being arecoline. The Arecoline is an alkaloid and is extracted when a little amoutnt of lime is mixed with the betel nut. Chewing raw betel nut is like eating cardboard or chalk.
No comments:
Post a Comment