Betel nut chewing
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Betel nut chewing, also called betel quid chewing or areca nut chewing, is a practice in which areca nuts are chewed together with slaked lime and betel leaves for their stimulant and narcotic effects
Ghiyas al-Din eats a betel chew, illustration from the Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi. Malwa, c. 1500. British Library
The items used in a chewing session. The betel leaves are folded. Slices of the dry areca nut are on the upper left. Slices of the tender areca nut are on the upper right. The pouch on the right has tobacco, an optional element. On the lower right, there are dried cloves.
Betel leaves at a market in Mandalay, Myanmar
A statue of a hermit with an offering of betel quid from Thailand
Maritime Southeast Asia
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Maritime Southeast Asia comprises the Southeast Asian countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Timor-Leste.
One of the majority of uninhabited islands of the Philippines. Maritime Southeast Asia is made up of the world's two largest archipelagos situated between the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea and the Western Pacific.