Excuse me, what is betel nut?

"Betel nut on the high tree, whoever climbs first will taste it first." This is a love song that both Chinese mainland and Taiwan Province are familiar with. Implicit lyrics show young men and women's desire and pursuit of love.

In Taiwan Province Province, betel nut trees can be seen everywhere, especially in towns and villages. People in Taiwan Province Province have always had the habit of chewing betel nuts. In 1950s and 1960s, the authorities of Taiwan Province Province vigorously promoted the betel nut tree as a cash crop, and the planting and sales of betel nut became a booming industry. Although it has been restricted in recent years, a large area of betel nut trees can still be seen in the east and west coasts and central mountainous areas of Taiwan Province Province. The shape of betel nut tree is very similar to coconut tree, with straight trunk and a cluster of leaves at the top, but the trunk of betel nut tree is thinner than coconut tree and looks more delicate. The climate in Taiwan Province Province is warm, and betel nut trees bear fruit all year round, with clusters hanging on the top of the trees.

People who have never eaten betel nuts are curious about chewing betel nuts. Under the guidance of enthusiastic taxi drivers, we also made an attempt. A packet of 50 Taiwan dollars (4 yuan NT 1 RMB) in Xiaobinglang Store contains about 89 capsules. According to others, this price is not expensive. Betel nut is as big as jujube, and it is covered with a layer of green "betel nut leaves". It is said that betel nut leaves are actually leaves of another plant. Because it is used to wrap betel nuts, it is also called betel nut leaves. When eating, bite off one end first, spit it out and put it in your mouth. It feels bitter. I think this is how non-smokers feel. Chewing saliva for a long time increased, showing chrysanthemum red, and even the mouth was dyed red. Areca nut fiber is rough and will not melt in the mouth after repeated chewing. My own feeling is that I really dare not compliment you, just like foreigners coming to Beijing to drink bean juice.

Chewing betel nut can produce fluid and heat. When people are working hard, chewing betel nut can refresh themselves. Betel nut can be addictive if eaten for a long time, so people are often seen moving around all day. On the train from Taitung to Fangliao, I saw an old woman who ate betel nuts twice in half an hour, two at a time, and her peristalsis never stopped. Grandma is a very typical betel nut lover. She carries a full set of tools with her and processes betel nuts herself. She let us know the whole process of eat areca: Grandma took out two betel nuts from a small bag, cut off both ends with a knife, opened a small box similar to cosmetics, gouged out a little white mud paste with a knife, spread it evenly on betel nut leaves, and then wrapped the betel nuts separately and put them in her mouth. Grandma found when chewing betel nut that white frost, such as lime, can reduce the bad stimulation of betel nut and improve the taste. At the end of two or three hours' journey, grandma was still chewing betel nuts.

Modern people try to save trouble. Eat areca always buys finished products wrapped in green leaves in small shops. So betel nut shops can be seen everywhere in small towns in Taiwan Province Province, which is just right. Whether in Taipei or Tainan, betel nut shops have a distinctive sign: tubular neon lights are arranged in a radial fan shape, which is very eye-catching at night. Small shops on the roadside are more distinctive, with small transparent glass houses less than 10 square meters isolated on the roadside (pictured). Neon lights can be seen far away in the night, and everything in the store is clear and eye-catching. It is hot for a long time in Taiwan Province province, so the betel nut shop not only sells betel nuts, but also drinks and cigarettes. The names of various "professional betel nut" shops are varied: Baby, Bunny, Gemini ... There are also introductions under the signboard: retail, wholesale, one grain cut in half, white mud and red mud double package and so on.

In the past, there were many people in eat areca, betel nut shops were prosperous and betel nut trees were widely planted. However, due to shallow root system and poor soil fixation ability, heavy rain will cause soil erosion and flash floods; Because chewing betel nut stimulates the oral cavity and easily leads to oral cancer, the sales of betel nut in recent years are not as good as before, and the competition is fierce. Even so, the basic salary of "Betel nut beauty" in the betel nut shop, which is responsible for processing and selling, is more than NT$ 10,000, and there is a commission. Fierce competition has brought a variety of tricks: the "beauty of betel nut" in roadside shops is getting thinner and thinner, even wearing only a bra on the upper body and a short skirt below, even in winter. Unique things are naturally expensive, and it is said that they can be sold for 100 yuan per pill. The media in Taiwan Province Province described these "beautiful and frozen" girls as "cool and spicy" and criticized the practice of "buy one get two free" as too erotic. There are many complaints from the public, which heats up from time to time.

Betel nut beauty is a hot girl selling betel nuts ~