I found this from Little India yesterday. This is the first time I see people selling betelnuts this way. This stall is outside an Indian restaurant in Jalan Pasar where the Little India conclave is in Penang.
I couldn’t resist taking photos. So, I went to the guy and ask for his permission. I simply must take macro shots of the stuffs because they look so interesting.
Can you see the stuffs on the photo? It is a combination of betel leaves or daun sireh, flavoured with cinnamon powder, some sugar syrup, chopped cherries, fennel (or is it cummins?), sunflower seeds and of course, the betel nut or buah pinang.
I know that betelnut chewing is highly addictive and it can even gives the person a ‘high’. I wish I dare to buy one and try but I can’t visualise myself with a set of red teeth!
The finished product. The leaves are wrapped and topped with a rose petal and fasten together with a clove. Isn’t it a beauty? Go to Wikipedia’s page for some interesting facts on the betelnut.
In my travels through Malaysia I have not come across much use of beetlenut as a drug, unlike Indonesia where it has widespread use. The potency is increased when mixed with lime.
As you point out everyone who uses it has red teeth…and lips…and fingers…
It also makes the user salivate so they are constantly spitting on the ground. Yuck!
My wife and I will be visiting Penang then traveling via the Cameron Highlands down to KL in late Nov and early Dec (we come over twice a year) and we hope to try a lot of the food places you have blogged about. (I have been keeping notes)
Keep up the great writing and pic’s.
Tom
OOPS! Pardon my spelling of Betel Nut.
Tom
Very interesting! The one in Klang just had the betel nut leave and the actual nut but yours is so pretty with that rose petal.
[…] I got a little over adventurous and got a high from chewing betel leaves. No shit, I actually bought one from the Indian restaurant I went to. Take a look at what goes into the betel leave package here. […]
there are lot of ah peks at taiwan love it. i saw some very “sexy” girls (they are almost naked) standing at the roadside and sell these at taiwan.
[…] Their mango lassi is heavenly and I also ordered one gulab jamoon. Prices are very economical, ranging from RM1+ to RM3 for a dish. The total bill came up to only RM30. I also bought one betel nut package which I manage to chew only halfway. I had to spit it out after my son kept insisting that I smell like Selsun anti-dandruff shampoo and another one said it smells like the dentist clinic. Hahaha, so much for being adventurous. […]