The beauty of betel nut culture

Chewing betel nut – a traditional custom that has existed for generations in Vietnamese culture – is a distinctive cultural feature of the nation.

For every Vietnamese person, surely everyone has grown up listening to stories told by their grandmothers and mothers about "The Legend of Betel and Areca" - a story that encapsulates a shared philosophy of life, cultural communication, and behavior within the community, about how people express themselves through betel chewing, strengthening family bonds... According to legend and historical records, the custom of chewing betel dates back to the time of the Hung Kings who founded the nation. Through countless societal changes, the custom of chewing and offering betel still possesses a powerful vitality, present in society today, especially in the lives of rural people.

A betel quid (or betel nut) consists of green betel leaves and other ingredients: betel nut, tree bark, and slaked lime. The user simply chews and savors the betel nut flavor, swallowing the juice from the betel quid and discarding the residue. Sometimes, they chew a few strands of tobacco or roll it into a ball to use as a toothpick, retaining the flavor of the betel quid. A complete set includes a betel box, lime container, lime spatula, spittoon, betel nut cutter, toothpick, and toothpick, often decorated with painted or carved images of the homeland, flowers, or animals.

The process of preparing betel quid is not overly complicated. Betel leaves are rolled into several layers, lime is applied using a spatula, and the stem is secured to prevent the leaves from unraveling. Fresh or dried areca nuts are cut into pieces, including the seeds. If using dried areca nuts, they are soaked in water before being used to soften them. A little bark is added, the betel nut is folded, and a piece is chewed thoroughly. The sweetness of the areca nut, the spiciness and aroma of the betel leaf essential oil, and the astringency of the seed and bark all blend together, creating a euphoric, intoxicating sensation. The body warms, breath becomes warm, and girls chewing betel have flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes… In traditional society, the image of a girl with “rosy cheeks and red lips,” smiling and revealing black teeth (due to the custom of chewing betel and dyeing teeth black), became a criterion for determining female “beauty.”

Despite her advanced age, Mrs. Hoang Thi Nhinh still prepares betel nuts and betel leaves herself.

Mrs. Hoang Thi Nhinh, from Hung Dao commune (City), is 95 years old but can still chew betel nut, thanks to her teeth, which were dyed black since her youth. While chewing betel nut, she recounted: "Betel nut has been a part of my life for more than half a century. Back then, there were 17 girls in the village, and everyone dyed their teeth to chew betel nut. From the days of plowing and working in the fields with my mother and sisters, chewing betel nut became an indispensable habit in my daily life."

Betel nuts are also a symbol of love and the unwavering bond between husband and wife, which is why people say "becoming husband and wife through betel nuts" means becoming husband and wife. In the past, the offering tray contained a few betel nuts and leaves in a wooden tray, but nowadays, depending on the family's circumstances, the betel nut tray varies in size, with bunches of betel nuts laden with large, plump, green nuts interspersed with betel leaf tendrils, creating a meaningful offering tray.

In traditional society, the way betel quid was one of the criteria for judging a woman's character and domestic skills. When proposing marriage, the groom's family would often observe how the prospective bride prepared her betel quid. A beautifully and harmoniously prepared betel quid showed a woman who was skillful, meticulous, and thoughtful. Preparing betel quid was also an art, and many people learned how to prepare it in the shape of a phoenix wing.

Ms. Nong Thi Huyen, from Group 8, Duyet Trung Ward (City), shared: "I still vividly remember the image of my grandmother sitting and splitting betel nuts in front of the house. She used to chew betel with the bark of a sweet potato plant from the forest, not the bark of a chay tree like the Kinh people. The sweet potato bark has a bitter taste, but when eaten with betel leaves, it's refreshing."

*The woman with black teeth and red lips from chewing betel nut was considered a beautiful image in society.*

Betel nut chewing has a profound connection with the Vietnamese people, transcending daily habits to become a beautiful cultural tradition deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture. In religious practices and spiritual rituals such as: ceremonies to heaven and earth, Buddhist ceremonies, ceremonies to saints and deities, ancestral worship, etc., betel nut chewing is the "first" offering. On every holiday, Tet (Lunar New Year), and ancestral commemoration, the offering tray cannot be without betel nuts and leaves. This is a beautiful cultural tradition of the Vietnamese people from ancient times to the present, expressing gratitude to their ancestors.

The culture of betel chewing has existed throughout the development of the nation's history. Although the custom of betel chewing is now mostly found in rural areas, it still retains its cultural essence, reminding today's generation to preserve the nation's beautiful traditions as well as the spiritual and cultural significance of Vietnamese people.

Dieu Linh

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