The nut of the areca palm, traditionally chewed in South and Southeast Asia, often wrapped in betel leaf.
Betel comes from Malayalam 'vettila,' referring to the pepper plant; the nut is the seed of the areca palm. The combination 'betel nut' became standard despite technically mixing two different plant names.
Betel nut chewing has been part of South Asian culture for over 3,000 years and is one of the world's most widely used stimulants, yet it's largely unknown in Western countries—and it stains teeth a distinctive red color.
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