Taiwan is a sovereign state in China and is officially the Republic of China. The country boasts of rich culture. Due to its unique historical and geographical background, Taiwan includes a rich and varied culture made up of elements taken from many different ethnic groups. But here is one culture that stands out – the business of betel nuts.
Taiwan’s business of betel nut, the famous psychoactive stimulant, is thriving at an exponential pace. It is the second largest agricultural crop of Taiwan.
People in this part of the world have been chomping down on betel nuts for thousands of years, having long ago realized that by chewing the nut and leaf together a mild stimulant is created.
What is betel nut?
In its most basic form, it comes from the seed of Areca Catechu, which is a type of palm tree. It is commonly chewed after being ground up or sliced and then it is wrapped in the leaves of Piper betle coated with lime. Tobacco or flavored spices may also be added.
While chewing, you have to spit out the juice and take care that you don’t swallow it. It is the world’s fourth most popular psychoactive substance after nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine.
Why chew betel nut?
It is considered as a storehouse of energy. Sometimes, it also results in feelings of euphoria and well-being. Because of this, betel nut practices vary widely across regions, mainly in Asia. Therefore, Taiwan has the largest audience of betel nuts.
Major audience?
Truck drivers and taxi drivers. Also, blue-collar jobs’ people. The men believe that betel nut energises them like no other and so they can work for the whole day.
”I use betel nuts to mark time and to keep myself alert,” said Shen Ting-hui, 28, a truck driver.
The marketing technique varies from the rest of the world…
By hiring pretty girls! (and that actually works.) They are called ‘Betel Nut Girls’. If you visit Taiwan, you’d see scantily dressed women by roadsides selling the betel nuts in small stalls which resemble telephone booths and they make the betel nuts ready to eat.
Here’s everything you wanted to know about Betelnut Girls:
1. Betel-nut women were once a Taipei tourist drawcard. In the mid-1990s, the phenomenon exploded.
2. Seeing the growing competition, the women dressed scantily to lure male customers. Till today, this still works.
3. Dressing scantily works. The revealing shirt, shorts, and heels do the talking. They help to peddle the second largest crop to almost 17.5 percent of the adult male population, according to the Government estimates.
4. They are also featured in tourist guides. In short, it helps them increase the tourism statistics. Their betel-nut stands are a favorite among long-distance drivers.
5. They are often subjected to physical harassment by the drivers and they often put up with drunken customers.
6. The salary is excellent. Even more than a fresh college graduate student.
Any harmful effects?
Yes! Besides the teeth getting red colored, according to studies, chewing betel nut can cause cancer in mouth and esophagus. This incurable condition can cause stiffness in the mouth and eventually the loss of jaw movement. WHO recognizes betel nut as a carcinogen.
Many reformists want to crack down the growing trend of Betelnut girls. Police have caught these girls and accused them of prostitution.  According to the new laws in Taipei City in 2007,  it has become virtually impossible for Betelnut girls to pedal the product anymore.Â
But the business still thrives. You can know more about the details of this business here.
Despite issues of health and exploitation, this has more or less morphed into an urban art for Taiwan and people still go to pretty girls’ booths to get their daily dose of betel nuts. The question of it being good or bad is another debate because this isn’t culminating in Taiwan any soon because they refuse to bow out.
Sources: Wikipedia, English in Taiwan, Aljazeera.