Consumption of paan, a mix of areca nut, betel leaves, lime and tobacco, is on the rise in India. Good news for growers' finances, if not their health
A cool morning mist they call impani, or honey drops, hangs over the forests and paddy fields in this rural area of Karnataka in south-west India. As we walk between the rows of areca palms to the soundtrack of whoops and whistles from birds in the treetops, Vinayak points out some of the diverse spices and fruits that grow in the shade below.
"Vanilla is the most valuable spice," he says, holding up a pod for us to see. "One pod provides enough to make a 100 litres of ice-cream."
We walk on, crossing numerous log bridges that span the deep channels dug to provide drainage during the monsoon rains. We are shown clusters of peppercorns hanging from a creeper, ginger and turmeric roots, the bark of the cinnamon tree, yellow-green nutmegs the size of plums. There are other crops: coffee, cocoa and cardamom, and five different types of banana, each with its distinct culinary use.
However, the most important and the mainstay of the local economy is the areca nut used for paan, chewed throughout Asia for its mildly stimulating effect. The nut is wrapped in betel leaves with the addition of lime and sometimes tobacco. It stains the mouth bright red and some scientists believe it may be carcinogenic. Girish assures us paan is healthy. "It contains minerals and gives you energy." Consumption in India is on the rise.
Bunches of areca nuts line the paths between the palms. It is harvesting season and the picker has been busy. We find him preparing to climb, his assistant at the ready. Clad in only a pair of brief shorts and a turban, he is roped at the waist and his ankles are joined with a piece of twisted coir rope that hugs the tree trunk. He shins up the tree in seconds, armed with a long hooked stick.
Having stripped one tree of its fruit, the picker uses his hooked stick to pull a neighbouring palm towards him and leaps across. The local agricultural co-operative pays for the pickers to be insured. It is dangerous work. Sometimes there are encounters with poisonous tree snakes.
The co-operative movement is very strong in Karnataka with every community required by law to establish one. Most families own less than a hectare. Without the local co-op, living would be even more precarious
Letter from India: hunting areca nuts | World news | Guardian Weekly
A cool morning mist they call impani, or honey drops, hangs over the forests and paddy fields in this rural area of Karnataka in south-west India. As we walk between the rows of areca palms to the soundtrack of whoops and whistles from birds in the treetops, Vinayak points out some of the diverse spices and fruits that grow in the shade below.
"Vanilla is the most valuable spice," he says, holding up a pod for us to see. "One pod provides enough to make a 100 litres of ice-cream."
We walk on, crossing numerous log bridges that span the deep channels dug to provide drainage during the monsoon rains. We are shown clusters of peppercorns hanging from a creeper, ginger and turmeric roots, the bark of the cinnamon tree, yellow-green nutmegs the size of plums. There are other crops: coffee, cocoa and cardamom, and five different types of banana, each with its distinct culinary use.
However, the most important and the mainstay of the local economy is the areca nut used for paan, chewed throughout Asia for its mildly stimulating effect. The nut is wrapped in betel leaves with the addition of lime and sometimes tobacco. It stains the mouth bright red and some scientists believe it may be carcinogenic. Girish assures us paan is healthy. "It contains minerals and gives you energy." Consumption in India is on the rise.
Bunches of areca nuts line the paths between the palms. It is harvesting season and the picker has been busy. We find him preparing to climb, his assistant at the ready. Clad in only a pair of brief shorts and a turban, he is roped at the waist and his ankles are joined with a piece of twisted coir rope that hugs the tree trunk. He shins up the tree in seconds, armed with a long hooked stick.
Having stripped one tree of its fruit, the picker uses his hooked stick to pull a neighbouring palm towards him and leaps across. The local agricultural co-operative pays for the pickers to be insured. It is dangerous work. Sometimes there are encounters with poisonous tree snakes.
The co-operative movement is very strong in Karnataka with every community required by law to establish one. Most families own less than a hectare. Without the local co-op, living would be even more precarious
Letter from India: hunting areca nuts | World news | Guardian Weekly
