One of the major early human migrations was the maritime Austronesian expansion into the islands of the Indo-Pacific, believed to have begun between at least 5500 and 4000 BP. These migrations were ac
Candlenut (Aleurites moluccanus) leaves, flowers, and fruit from Maui
Women preparing candlenut torches for the Baha Liurai festival in Babulo, Timor-Leste
Giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos) plantation in Tongatapu, Tonga
Elephant foot yam in Taman Negara, Malaysia
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