The Betel Man, Varanasi

@~Zen~

Yes. I've tried it there and various other places in India. It's like a very strong expresso, but somehow cleaner feeling. It is often/usually mixed with some sort of tobacco, which makes it really heady and far too strong for me. Here's a write-up from when I had it clean: 3.3.1 Betel Nut

@~Zen~ You can find it here in the states at some Asian Stores. In the Philippines it was wrapped in a leaf (which you can buy) and then it was dipped in a white powder which you should be able to buy here too---I forget what it is called. On my last trip to Hawaii we saw it growing on a palm tree (betel palm) and I suddenly realized after all those years in the Philippines, I never tried it. I mean, it's what old people did, not young cool people like me (LOL). So we bought some in a Micronesian store and did it. I saw God! ...No I didn't--that's a joke----yeah about like an espresso high.

Then I happened to see it here in Denver in several smaller Asian stores. It seems to me that you are probably more likely to find it in a small corner Asian grocery store that serves a local Hmong or Vietnamese community. Or a pacific community if you have one.

@DMTrott I just read your post on betel nut----that's what the white powder is---lime. I wanted to write lime earlier but kept thinking, "no---that's the fruit, what was it? Lye? No that's not right."