By Richard Matheson

Dubbed 'Taiwan's green gold', betel nut ('bin lang' in Mandarin), is a cash crop second only to rice. However, the nut is not without its drawbacks. Much beetle nut farming is illegal. betel nut trees suck nutrients from the soil and have shallow root systems notorious for causing landslides, destroying property and taking lives. Some resent the image betel nut gives Taiwan: citizens with red stained teeth bulging cheeks expectorating their pulpy red payload in the street. Not to mention the glass highway vending stalls that many say objectify the scantily clad women selling the nut. betel nut chewing has also been linked to mouth cancer, which is one of Taiwan's leading killers. 
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 Lee Lin 

While betel nut beauties are unique to Taiwan, betel nut is found throughout South Asia and the Pacific.   Stephen Fowler, author of Betel Nut: An Essay , states that the betel nut is chewed habitually by ten percent of the world's population. He also states, erroneously, that it is not chewed but sucked. It may be sucked by some (perhaps as an imported dry form), but it is predominantly chewed in Taiwan.

Fowlers's essay, and the Bin Lang files from the Takao Club, explain the pharmacological aspects of betel. They say that basically, it is the mixture of the betel (properly called the areca nut), the betel leaf and lime that produce the physical stimulation and excess of saliva. The effect of betel nut is mild. Some compare it to espresso.

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 Lee Lin 

Personally, I've never had an espresso that comes close to a good betel nut rush, but as with most substances, experiences vary with the nut and the person chewing it.

It's generally accepted that betel nut is mildly addictive, causes mouth cancer and rots teeth. However some claim it actually strengthens tooth enamel and that most chewers simply have poor oral hygiene.  

There are many different types and combinations of betel nut enjoyed in Taiwan. Again, it can be likened it to rice. There are many varieties of rice and many ways of preparing it. This is also true of betel nut. Commonly you can choose between wrapped or unwrapped, and between white lime-paste and green. A good nut is tender

but crunchy and very juicy, whereas a bad nut is not crunchy (stale) and is wet but not juicy.