Betel nuts in Thailand! Anyone tried them?

[BKK Blues Brother]

Anyone tried the Thai Betel nut?

Any stories?

I've heard it's similar to having a few Leo or Changs.

Anyone sent it overseas? Is it legal? Just askin..

[3NUMBAS]

orrible bitter muck try it and see .wood plus leaves .your mouth will seize up as you cant chew it . and your teeth will fall out of their sockets if you try enough

[NeverSure]

"...similar to having a few Leo or Changs?"

I thought it was strictly a cosmetic treatment for teeth.

[Halfie]

It's horrible. 3NUMBAS describes it accuratly.

[daoyai]

Mild stimulant, somewhat like coffee but with a bit oz dizzzyness as a side affect, nothing special.

[AyG]

I've had it in India in paan, but only once. After a few chews I vomited. Not tempted to try it a second time.

[jaidam]

orrible bitter muck try it and see .wood plus leaves .your mouth will seize up as you cant chew it . and your teeth will fall out of their sockets if you try enough

You did add the white or red paste? Without the addition of the paste the nuts do not dissolve when chewed and feel like dry chunks of wood in your mouth. Disgusting. However, add the paste to the leaf, wrap the nut and chew, it dissolves nicely and I find this a relaxing habit with a pleasing taste, especially enjoyable either after a nice meal or after morning coffee.

If the nuts are too hard, choose a younger nut they are much softer. Another option is to eat betel the Burmese way with sugar solution, cloves and other herbs. Fragrant and delicious.

Betel palm is an attractive tree, and completely legal in Thailand.

[Toknarok]

I've tried it a few times. It numbs your mouth and gives a very mild 'buzz' (hard to describe). The downsides are that you salivate excessively, necessitating constant spitting. In addition the white paste chewed with it is slaked lime, which is very detrimental to your dental welfare.

The 'nut' is not in fact a true nut but the seeds of the akira palm which grows profusely in Thailand. The habit of chewing the nut is mostly confined to elder people of the lower socioeconomic classes.

[AyG]

The 'nut' is not in fact a true nut but the seeds of the akira palm

A Japanese manga series had a palm named after it? Pretty sure you mean "areca".

[zeichen]

nasty habit that destroys your teeth. There is an old lady down the road that chewed it for decades, just wreaked havoc on her teeth and gums.

[i claudius]

I've tried it a few times. It numbs your mouth and gives a very mild 'buzz' (hard to describe). The downsides are that you salivate excessively, necessitating constant spitting. In addition the white paste chewed with it is slaked lime, which is very detrimental to your dental welfare.

The 'nut' is not in fact a true nut but the seeds of the akira palm which grows profusely in Thailand. The habit of chewing the nut is mostly confined to elder people of the lower socioeconomic classes.

A rich friend of our sons grandmother chews it ,they are large landowners ,so i suppose the grandmother unlike her children and grandchildren was poor ,so are her "poor" teeth

[namdocmai]

I tried it in India one day, very bitter and disgusting.

There is a new hype going on now, a herb that makes the female parts more tight, it is sold out all the time. They spoke about it on thai radio.

[kannot]

The palm trees real name is areca catechu there is also a dwarf form available and a yellow form and it can be crossed with other palms such as wodyetia bifurcata

An easy palm to grow fyi