A Keyhole into Burma - Betel nut chewing, it's as gross as it looks

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10-29-2007 @ 11:28PM

Editor said...

I bet you could get it in Minneapolis - there's a reasonable size Southeast Asian population there, right? It's common in the South Pacific as well.

Despite how it may have looked, it really is far less gross than maggot soup. It's also vegan, which is, as a rule, less gross than anything made from animals. Sanitation is likely not a problem - I imagine the lime would take care of that. Betel nut probably has some magical antiseptic properties that kill germs from other foods, anyway. The 'girl' version is mixed with cardamom and cinnamon or nutmeg, I believe, which is very unthreatening. I think the tobacco must contribute to the slobbery red mess, because I tried it and did not have that happen to me at all. It got rather dry after a little while, actually.

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