Betel

A leaf bundle that is chewed as a kind of light stimulant and an aid to digestion in many parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The nut of the areca palm (Areca catechu) is cut into pieces and wrapped in a fresh leaf of a species of pepper vine (Piper betle), together with flavorings and some lime paste (an alkali) to release the alkaloids in the nut. The nut makes the chewer salivate and colors the saliva a deep red, staining the teeth. The wad may also include a little tobacco or spices in combination with the basic nut and lime. The whole combination is referred to as paan in Hindi and as betel nut in English, though betel leaf would be more accurate. Paan sellers set up in small markets all over the Subcontinent, with neat stacks of leaves and an array of ingredients ready to be assembled to order.