Betel Nut chewing

[Ian_Lee]

Speaking of Taiwan, I remember betel nut chewing. I have never tried it before but it seems many Taiwanese are addicted to such habit. From what I know, here are the attributes of this industry:

(1) Betel nut chewing is apparently bad to your health. Taiwanese top among all other countries/regions in the rate of oral cancer (mouth and throat and even stomach).

(2) Probably betel nut cannot be swallowed like chewing gum. That is why after long time chewing and becoming tasteless, the residue of betel nut is being spitted.

(3) The residue looks very awful since it is deep red in color. Moreover, it is also a sanitary problem for the public.

(4) It causes dental problem since the teeth will darken after long time chewing.

(5) Betel nut selling also evolves into a sex industry with many sexy dressed ladies standing by the roadside soliciting customers for the sale of the betel nut as well as their bodies. Many motor cycle and truck drivers are hooked.

But why is betel nut chewing so addictive? Is it like dope? Has anyone tried it?

[keith]

Is chewing gum addictive?? No wonder Singapore bans it.

[keith]

Is it like some tabacco-chewers' substitute??

I've seen loads of these betel nut stalls by the roadside when I visited Taiwan in the mid-1990's, the only time I visited the country.

[geek_frappa]

yes! addictive. just as bad as nicotine and causes aggressive oral cancer.

[Guest Yau]

i'm not sure if betel nut (with quick lime) is addictive but the taste isn't all the good. I spitted it immediately after my first taste on it. Seems that it's less common in taipei today.

[geek_frappa]

it has been scientifically proven addictive. it has been declared a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=betel+nut+oral+cancer&btnG=Search&lr=

i agree. it's disgusting.

[wix]

Yes, I have tried it. It is a stimulant and is probably a bit more powerful than coffee.

I don't think I would ever become addicted to it. The process of chewing it and spitting is quite troublesome. It doesn't seem to bother many Taiwanese men though.

[TSkillet]

I don't think it's common in Taipei because I'm pretty sure Mayor Ma kicked them out (when he kicked the brothels out several years ago) - I've never actually seen a betel nut stand within the Taipei city limits.

But once you hit Tamshui (or any other direction) NEON NEON NEON and scantily clad girls for miles.

[Lu]

Haven't seen it so far, neither people who chewed it nor girls selling it, also not in Tamsui (Danshui). But then, I've only been here for a few days.

[wiz_oz]

Betel nut is chewed in Malaysia and Singapore but mainly by the older generation. It is getting less and less though. I believe in India as well

[Quest]

I thought 槟榔西施s were kind of rampant in Taiwan.

Many 槟榔s in the market are prepared with plaster of Paris/gypsum (as an added stimulant), which is definitely inedible.

[pazu]

In the old time, Japanese chewed betel nut too. And the blackened teeth are probably not a result of chewing betel nut, they intentionally blackened their teeth by charcoal.

(The betel nut will leave your teeth deep red in color only.)

Have a look of these old ladies I've met in Vietnam!

[Claw]

You should warn us before posting something like that pazu.

[sandra_49202@yahoo.com]

I heard that you can use betel nut and make tea out of the leaves, nut to get rids of parasite. Could that be true.

[Quest]

pazu i was talking about 槟榔西施 and then you gave us those 大杀风景

[pazu]

Sorry all, I should have posted this a bit earlier,,, at least 60 years ago... but that time they didn't have invented the internet yet.

See this link please:

http://www.pazu.com/travel/trip2004/travelog/index00028.html

[madizi]

I've tried binglang (betel nut) and it definitely is addictive drug. I felt a little bit dizzy but euphoric.

Many truck drivers in Taiwan chew binglang and that's why they are driving so crazy. Some friends who were driving outside a town with motorcycle said, that the greatest danger are truckdrivers chewing binglangs.

[wiz_oz]

BingLang..... I have almost forgotten the chinese name of the betel nut.

In Malaysia, the nut ic chewed together with a white paste(mentioned in an earlier post as gypsum but i think it is lime) and a leaf. I do not know the name of the plant from which the leaf is taken.

BTW, the bing-lang comes from a palm tree. Grown quite widely all over south east asia. Quite a nice palm.

[madizi]

I've heard that many forests dissapeared in Taiwan because farmers planted there betelnut palms. There are big profits from selling betel nuts. In fact, it is large industry in Taiwan.

[Lu]

A bit more info on the binglang Xishi in Taiwan:

As to what I heard, that custom started when some binglang selling xiaojies started to dress very sexy, and subsequently sold more. So all binglang xiaojies started to wear less and less.

I was told that they really only sell binglang, and not themselves, that the men buying the binglang only get to look at her but not touch her, that most of the time, the binglang is bought from a car window, so that binglang Xishi are not the same as hookers. But I guess there are some (or many) that are.

I was told that they don't sell alone, there are always two people in the selling boot, so that it's reasonably safe for them.

In Taipei, binglang Xishi are not allowed, but binglang is still sold by people with some more clothes on. In other places, it's really a lot of "neon neon neon and scantily clad girls".