The?Custom?of?Chewing?Betel?and?Areca?Nuts
嚼檳榔的習俗
According?to?the?legend,?this?custom?was?popularized?during?the?Hung?Vuong?Era,?and?closely?follows?the?famous?fairy?tale?of?the?"Story?of?the?Betel?and?Areca?Nut".?A?quid?of?betel?consists?of?four?materials:?an?areca?leaf?(sweet?taste),?betel?bark?(hot?taste),?a?chay?root?(bitter?taste),?and?hydrated?lime?(pungent?taste).?The?custom?of?chewing?betel?nut?is?unique?to?Vietnam.?Old?health?books?claim?that?"chewing?betel?and?areca?nut?makes?the?mouth?fragrant,?decreases?bad?tempers,?and?makes?digesting?food?easy".?A?quid?of?betel?makes?people?become?closer?and?more?openhearted.?At?any?wedding?ceremony,?there?must?be?a?dish?of?betel?and?areca?nut,?which?people?can?share?as?they?enjoy?the?special?occasion.
During?festivals?or?Tet?Holidays,?betel?and?areca?nut?is?used?for?inviting?visitors?and?making?acquaintances.?Sharing?a?quid?of?betel?with?an?old?friend?is?like?expressing?gratitude?for?the?relationship.?A?quid?of?betel?and?areca?nut?makes?people?feel?warm?on?cold?winters?days,?and?during?funerals?it?relieves?sadness.?Betel?and?areca?nuts?are?also?used?in?offerings.?When?Vietnamese?people?worship?their?ancestors,?betel?and?areca?nut?must?be?present?at?the?altar.Nowadays,?the?custom?of?chewing?betel?remains?popular?in?some?Vietnamese?villages?and?among?the?old.
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檳榔哥註：?越南是久有食檳榔之習俗，在越南有這樣的傳說：
在壹個越南的傳說中，壹對雙胞胎兄弟同時愛上了壹位女子，由於兩個兄弟感情十分的好，為了成全對方他們不約而同地選擇投河自殺，哥哥死後成了石灰巖，弟弟在巖石旁成了檳榔樹，那位女子受兄弟情義的感動也投河化成了攀附在樹上的荖藤；國王得知了這件事叫人采了石灰、葉子回來，嘗了之後倍絕美味，自此越南便有了嚼檳榔這項習俗。
以中文記載中也有越南檳檳習俗：
“安南自嫩及老，采檳榔食啖之，自雲交州地溫，不食此無以祛其瘴癘。廣州亦噉檳榔，然不甚於安南也。”
——《嶺表錄異》
熟者曰檳榔肉，亦曰玉子，則廉、欽、新會及西粵、交趾人嗜之。
——?屈大均，《廣東新語》，卷25《木語?檳榔》，中華書局，1985，P629
清初越南檳榔亦從海南島進口
“（海南檳榔）歲售於東西兩粵者十之三，於交趾、扶南十之七”
——?屈大均，《廣東新語》，卷25《木語?檳榔》，中華書局，1985，P629?＝＝＝＝＝
越南民間故事
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