Betel Nut

      There has been a lot of talk about Betel Nut ever since I have heard about Yap. I remember coming to Queens my freshman year and hearing former students talk about how awesome Yap was. In all of their stories they would talk about Betel Nut and how all the locals chewed it and it would stain their teeth. They talked about how they would try it and it was like a mild head high. This along with their other stories really is what first attracted me to Yap.

The areca nut is the seed of the areca palm, which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as betel nut, as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves. The areca nut is not a true nut, but rather a drupe. It is commercially available in dried, cured and fresh forms. While fresh, the husk is green and the nut inside is soft enough to be cut with a typical knife. In the ripe fruit, the husk becomes yellow or orange and, as it dries, the fruit inside hardens to a wood-like consistency. From there it is cut up and wrapped up in the betel nuts palms. It produces a mild stimulant feeling very similar to drinking coffee.

The Yapese start chewing betel nut very early and as a result it stains their teeth red or orange. It is a social norm that is followed and it is a way for them to calm down and relax after a long day. They have been chewing this for thousands of years and it is really embedded in their culture. The reason why this betel nut is so interesting is because of the social impact that it has within their community. When I researched around I found that being too stingy or too giving is frowned upon. I also discovered that being offered betel nut by the islanders is a sign of acceptance and should not be taken lightly. It actually shows you are welcomed and esteemed within their community. I can imagine bonding with the Yapese people while chewing with them was a great experience for the former students. Id imagines the bond and stories shared while experiencing the betel nut is what made it so great.