It’s known as “Taiwan's chewing gum”. Betel, a nut as hated as it is loved, occupies a special place in the island's culture. This stimulant is consumed by hundreds of thousands of people, mainly from working-class backgrounds, and supports just as many others. But few people know that this nut is carcinogenic and kills thousands of people every year. FRANCE 24’s Lucie Barbazanges reports.
Deeply rooted in the traditions and rituals of Taiwan's indigenous peoples, betel – or areca nut – is also consumed by blue-collar workers, such as labourers and drivers, who chew it to keep alert during their long working hours. In the poorest regions, up to 17 percent of the population consume it.
The consumption of betel nuts also provides a livelihood for Taiwanese women from disadvantaged backgrounds. Nicknamed “betel nut beauties”, scantily-clad young women can be found along Taiwan’s roads preparing and selling the nuts to passing customers.
In Taiwan, hundreds of thousands of people make their living from betel nuts with some 95,000 tons produced every year. The green nut is the second most important agricultural product on the island, after rice.
But for local organisations, the government can no longer turn a blind eye to the health risks linked to betel nut consumption which can lead to oral cavity cancers. Like smokers and drinkers, betel nut chewers are 123 times more likely to develop cancer than others.
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Various preventive measures have reduced consumption of this stimulant and curbed its cultivation on the island. But in the south, the Pingtung region still holds the world record for the number of deaths from oral cancer.
