How to eat betel nut? Tips on eating betel nut

Everyone must be very familiar with betel nut. Usually, many people like to buy finished betel nut and chew it directly, but do you know other ways to eat betel nut? Do you know what methods and skills are there when eating betel nut? If you don’t know, you can follow the editor to find out.

[Warning] Betel nut is a Class 1 carcinogen on the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer list of carcinogens. Chewing betel nut can increase the risk of oral cancer.

How to eat betel nut

Betel nut can be eaten raw or dried. To eat raw, you cut the fresh green betel nut into slices with a knife and chew the flesh and core at the same time. To eat dried betel nut, you boil the betel nut, dry it, and store it. When you want to eat it, you can take it out and chew it directly.

Tips for eating betel nut

1. Indian way of eating

In different regions and countries, the ways of eating betel nut are different. Indians like to eat betel nut by taking out the betel nut fruit, cutting it into pieces, and then dipping it in appropriate oyster ash. After dipping, they need to wrap the betel nut with clean betel leaves before putting it in their mouths and chewing it slowly. This way of eating betel nut can promote saliva secretion, and is particularly effective in promoting salivation and quenching thirst.

2. Li people’s way of eating

The Li people are a minority ethnic group in southern China. They have the habit of eating betel nuts for generations. However, they like to cut the betel nuts into petals, wrap them with loquat leaves, add tobacco and lime paste, and put them in their mouths to chew slowly. At this time, people will feel that the more they chew, the more fragrant it is. It can make people's complexion rosy and their spirits refreshed. It can relieve fatigue and prevent diseases.

3. Hainanese way of eating

Betel nut is also very common in Hainan, China, and the way locals eat betel nut is different from that in other regions. Hainanese people are very particular about eating betel nut. They will first cut the betel nut into slices, then sprinkle it with a paste made of shell powder and marinate it for one to two days. After marinating, take it out and wrap it with betel leaves, then chew it slowly in your mouth. At first, green water will appear, which can be spit out. After a while, the green water disappears and the betel nut liquid will turn red. It can quench thirst, promote salivation and refresh the mind.