Once popular among royalty and later among commoners in Asia as a social custom and a stimulant, the pernicious habit of betel-nut chewing is remembered in Malaysia for its paraphernalia, which are celebrated as nostalgic keepsakes.
The bite-sized concoction can still be had at roadside stalls, though considerably less so than in some parts of countries such as India (supari in Tamil), Myanmar (kunyuet), Thailand (mak), Bhutan (doma), Papua New Guinea (daka), Sri Lanka (puwat), Bangladesh (sylheti), Africa, Bhutan, southern China and even Taiwan, where it is dubbed the “Taiwan chewing gum”. In Malaysia, it is called sireh pinang.
