Betel Leaf Chews

A thousand years ago I was sent to Kenya. I do believe that this has come up previously in a couple of ‘Blogs’ but I mention it again because it is a place that is dear to my heart.

Indeed the second book of ‘My Name Is A Number: Three Fingers’ is located primarily in Kenya – specifically around the Rift Valley and Mount Kenya although there is a large section that is in Nairobi where we see our protagonists around the market and the Nairobi Hilton!

However, on this occasion I should like to remind you, dear reader, about the time we, DP and I, went to Naivasha for lunch. You will recall that the lunch was fish and chips! The fish was Tilapia – from Lake Naivasha, of course, where the ‘mud’ was deep and sticky ‘Flamingo shit’, unquote. 

Well, the thing is that after lunch DP asked if I should like to try something that would aid in my digestion of the lunch. I told him that I am ever willing to try anything new at least once.

He grinned – that was, I suspect, a warning that I missed!

We approached a roadside hawker who prepared a leaf-wrapped delicacy that was then handed to me.

It appeared to contain some crushed nuts and a white powder.

As instructed I popped the folded leaf into my mouth and began to chew it. Once. One chew. Enough!

It was impossible to get it out of my mouth fast enough!

Bitter? Great heavens above! My entire face turned inside out.

Subsequently they informed me that this was a betel leaf that contained a nut and chalk powder. It is the chalk powder that seems to aid the digestion.

Should have stuck with just the chalk powder!

Now, at last, I discover that the nutty part is called, here in Malaysia, Pinang.

It is suggested that this small nut is like a Nutmeg in that you remove the outer shell and then chop up the ‘fruit’ inside and add it to whatever you will - like a Betel Leaf Chew!

The Pinang Tree

Baby Pinang Nuts

To Give An Idea of the Size of the Baby Nuts (on the right!!)

The 'Adult' Fruit

After apologising to DP for my ill manners in spitting out the leaf and its contents he laughed and said that they suspected there might be a reaction of that sort.

‘Might’? ‘Reaction’? Kenyans are also guilty of understatement!

DP, also known as Dujirichand Premchand Shah, and his family were delightful, hospitable and friendly people as I have discovered Sikhs to be wherever you meet them.

Searches on social media and ‘Google’ have failed to come up with a solution to where they, and DP’s brother Vinuchandra, might be located now.

I hope they are alive and well.

They have afforded me some wonderful memories.