Betel Mania

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The importance of betel nut in PNG, especially on the Sepik, cannot be overstated. As Mathilda, the woman who hosted us in Korogu village, mentioned, betel nut is the first thing people exchange and it is used to cement relationships. How often we have seen people giving and receiving betel nuts.

Without realizing it at first, our relationships with people changed and deepened when we started buying betel nuts for our travel companions and hosts. People would say: "Gut pla pasim"and "Em meri/man gut pasim," which mean "They are kind people" and "She/he is a kind woman/man".

Betel is used to settle disputes or make amends. One is expected to give a chicken, a branch of betel nuts and 10 or 20 kinas to settle a personal issue, but, if the dispute is between families, the cost is higher and a pig and a bushel of betel are expected with money.

Betel is also an important part of the funeral ritual. Big branches of betel nuts are hung in the "house cry" and betel nuts are given to people who come in to pay their respect. After the funeral, the family of the deceased will thank all visitors by giving them food (pig or cow meat, vegetables, fruits, rice and sugar) and betel nuts.

Chewing betel either with mustard seeds or cinnamon bark and lime gives people a mild high and makes them more talkative. It also seems to keep them more alert in the intense heat. It proves very useful when entertaining two Canadians in the mid-afternoon heat or attending village meetings in the "Haus Tambaran".

The downsides are a very red mouth and sensitive teeth, but it does not seem to deter anyone from chewing. The bright red stains and the husks of the nuts litter the ground almost everywhere. The 'Do not chew' signs are placed alongside the 'Do not smoke' ones in many public places.

Because of that betel mania, betel is a good cash crop. People living in the tropical lowland grow betel trees in their garden and around their houses. For many subsistence farmers, this is an important way to make money and pay, for example, school fees. Betel is sold locally but also exported to the big cities like Port Moresby and the Highland region. Our travel from Angoram to Madang by the sea and the road followed the betel nut run!

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