Traditional Chinese culture : the betel nut

Dan Jianmin

At the beginning of this guest not familiar, advised food in.

Virtual and discouraged, was chewing and half spit.

Absorption fine to slightly sweet, a tooth with also suffer.

        Betel nut, a bin gate, kernel frequency, wash Dan miasma, screw nut. Tao said: " sharp grew up in a purple lines after Penang, round and dwarf who said palm. Out to a state, small and sweet; Guangzhou, big and astringent." Betel nut in the Six Dynasties for the people "," two"" by Liu Muzhi
 

        Gold containing betel nut, feast wife brothers" chronicles.
 

        Areca areca palms plants for areca seed. " South vegetation-like" contains:" betel nut tree high Shiyu, skin like bronze, section such as moderators. This is not small, the upper branch. If a thick straight Tingting, million. Show deep without offset, end top leaf, leaf like banana, a Gu open. Yang
 

        Look like banana plug bush Yu Zhusuo; wind to the animal, like the sweeping day lift fan. Leaf coefficient under real, real with dozens of real, real big like peaches and plums, born under the spike weight, so the Praetorian actually. The bitter taste, analyse its skin, cooked their skin, as hard as dates, as a heart-shaped, breaking the skin as a brocade is preferred." "
 

        The Yu Yiqi and Han Kangbo book" also said:" but the betel nut trees most southern tour is very considerable, wood, and also specific. I pay in the state, degree of the big, measurements, high nine Zhang yu. Ye Jushu end, real habitat leaves, flower show room, child nodes outside the room. The pull spike like millet, its compose is a valley,
 

        Its skin like Tong thick, the festival like bamboo. The air outside, Jin, the flexor as overlying the extension such as rainbow, let the rope. This is not the end, not small; not bend, not oblique, thick straight Tingting, if a thousand. The forest is my shelter Lang, the shadow is depressed, the letter can be sung, can be far to say. But sex
 

        Not resistant to frost, not North sik, when will ya tree Hainan, Liaoning million, not meet the elder eye, from a deep hate." A vivid description of areca plant morphology.
 

        " Doctors don't record" that: "the South China Sea areca students, bitter and pungent warm and smell, non-toxic, eliminating Valley by water removing sputum production, killing three insects, V body, inch white." Chinese medicine clinical commonly used to cure dysentery, tapeworm disease, biliary ascariasis, schistosomiasis and other. With betel nut made a solution instillation, can cure.
 

        Eye. The five generation of medical experts and writers, of Areca catechu medicinal value very much. The song Huang Tingjian had sent several for betel nut:" pretty coal rain red stem tree, by the water discharging sputum rear elbow, Mo laugh and poor county magistrate, bother a HOH send betel nut". The song Zhu Xi also praised the rule of the disease killing power. Said
 

        :" south day"," facial redness. Know how useful drug, tea bowl with. Juan disease received special effects, Xiu Yi Gong recorded. Three Peng if not avoid, erosion of seven non."
 

        Guangdong people have the habit of chewing betel nuts, often mixed with Amomum villosum, cardamom, a purse, chew lips shake day, teeth, spit juice red. Qiu Jun donated the prefecture 's poem: " order of fishy smell heap mouth spit betel nut clams son, pus and blood." In the morning give things regulating chemotaxis toward said: " ask the night
 

        No canal central, the sound of the drums should be a busy. Line to the front door is not open, his sitting eating betel nut." Process for the people of Hainan, it is this hobby. Zhu Xi also has a" betel nut just five plays Jane and the Registrar", it said" Kam man ray cut advised meals, help keep a mirage carbon plate. Food, sometimes for no,
 

        The hero meets also hunger". Beam, Yujianwu" betel nut Rev." said: "no pains, Zhu Shi, and litchi five couture, can send a confidante, class of lotus ten wine."
 

        People in the south of betel nut chewing habit, long-standing. The habitual chewing betel, efficacy. Luo Da" crane Lin Yulu" set: "south of the Five Ridges people with betel generation tea Royal malaria, its power has four: one is awake can get drunk, cover food for a long time is smoked and buccal red if drinking it; said two drunk can make
 

        Wake of the lid, chewing is wide, of sputum, Yu Xing Dayton solution; the three day hunger can make full; four day full can make the hunger. Cover of fasting to eat, then charge but arrogant as satiety; satiety after food is fast and easy. And nature of dredging and don't be discouraged, solemn and more intrinsic taste of emblic, there is virtue it is power
 

        Also."
 

        The poets chant verses such as: betel nut is very much, don Li Bai's" how gold disc, a Hu Jian betel nut". The song Tang Geng" weaving shellfish muscle slide, betel nut into buccal red". Yuan Zhang Zhu" new good eating betel nut, a Hoh Su Xing air". The song Su Shi, "don't worry hanging on long
 

        Village, betel nut son bamboo sun".
 

        Areca nut is not only the drug, is also the Hainan Island Li, Miao Autonomous Prefecture folk festival gift. During the festival, giving each other, especially in the marriage auspicious, still can not give candy, betel nut is a faux pas. Reception of guests, with betel nut conference : a fresh betel nut, a piece of
 

        Banksia rose leaves, wipe on shell paste, please put in the mouth to chew, but.
 

        Recent data are presented, often eat nuts can cause oral cancer increases. According to laboratory tests, betel nut containing lime and old vine contains safrole with high oncogenic role, so can not eat areca.