If you look closely at this little creature on the left, you might see a small green leaf in his mouth.
The little green leaf is filled with lime and a special type of seed, which is called Areca nut (or Pinang in Malaysia, Betel Nut in Myanmar, etc). The leaf, at least in Myanmar, also contains lime, and is chewed up and spit out. If you have not heard of this or seen it before, and are from the US, think of chewing tobacco – chew on it for a while, spit it out, and if you do it for enough years, your teeth will be ruined.
When I was in Myanmar, I decided to be daring and I gave it a try after my driver offered me a leaf. Like tobacco (which actually is sometimes included in the mix), it is suppose to give you a little buzz and make you more alert. I noticed that my driver would increase his consumption in the last few hours of the drive, and from what I could tell, it helped him stay focused.
I did not think it was terrible – in fact, I had two leaves of the stuff when I was there. This was a bit confusing for my brain because, while it was ok, it also reminded me of my bathroom cleaner (because of the lime).
My Driver with Betel Nut
If you go to Myanmar, and I am told it is similar in India, you will see this at almost every little stall. In addition, you’ll probably walk in, over, and around several puddles of red spit during the day.
