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lcurran | all galleries >> Papua New Guinea 2007 >> Mt. Hagen > Betel Juice
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06-JUL-2007

Betel Juice

Note the betel-stained teeth. Many Papua New Guineans are addicted to chewing betel nuts.
Usually a few slices of the nut are wrapped in a Betel leaf along with lime and may include clove, cardamom, catechu (kattha), etc. for extra flavouring. Betel leaf has a fresh, peppery taste, but it can be bitter depending on the variety.

Betel nuts are chewed for their effects as a mild stimulant, causing a mild hot sensation in the body and slightly heightened alertness, although the effects vary from person to person. However, red marks on the ground are ever present due to the 'expectorations' of those chewing!

Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
1/200s f/5.6 at 105.0mm iso400 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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