Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Highly Recommended)
Address: No. 26號, Tonghua St, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CcdPXEAre4dFk8aq5
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
Important Health and Legal Warning:
Betel Nut 檳榔 🌰🌿 is a Stimulant Drug that is a Known Carcinogenic. ☠️ Regular Consumption of this will cause Adverse Health Effects like Cancer. 💀 Many Countries have actually banned the Consumption of it, so check if your Country has such Laws against its Consumption. 🤔 I will not be responsible for any Health or Legal Issues you may have if you choose to consume this. 🙅♂️
You can have a Mix of either Sweet 甜味 or Original 原味
The Betel Nut or Areca Nut 🌰🌿 is the Fruit of the Areca Palm (Areca Catechu) 🌴 that is originally native to the Philippines. 🇵🇭 Interestingly, the Areca Palm is the Tree that is prominently shown on the State Flag of Penang. 🇲🇾 It has a History that dates back Thousands of Years and is Commonly Chewed as a Stimulant Drug comparable to Cigarette Smoking. 🚬
As in the Case of Stimulant Drugs, regular consumption of this causes many Adverse Health Effects like Various Cancers 💀 and thus Many Countries have banned the Use of it. 🙅♂️
Interestingly, as Strict as Singapore Laws are, the Betel Nut is Not Banned in Singapore (For Now). 🇸🇬🤔 It is more commonly called by its Hindi Name as "Paan". Although not commonly seen and used, it can be bought in Singapore in the Little India Area. 🤔 (Source and Images: Wikipedia and Various Reddit Posts)
台湾槟榔 Taiwanese Betel Nut 🌰🌿 is a Very Romanticised sometimes even Forbidden Food Item that we often hear about when talking about the Darker Side of Taiwan. 🇹🇼🤔
When discussing about 台湾槟榔, the topic will inevitably gravitate towards the Infamous 槟榔西施 or "Betel Nut Beauties" 😅 who are Young Pretty Ladies peddling and selling Betel Nut on the Streets that has been Greatly Exaggerated in Mainstream Media 🎥 making Everything look Shady or Sus and even got a Mildly Illegal 见不得光 type of Feel. 🤔
Images Credit of the Betel Nut Beauties are taken from CNN Style
In Reality, Betel Nut Shops are actually Not Commonly Seen in Taiwan (at least not in the Areas where I explored). 🇹🇼 Usually located on a Street Corner. They aren't Dark, Shady or Highly Sus 见不得光 Places at all. 🙅♂️ The so called 槟榔西施 Betel Nut Beauties aren't as Common as you think. 😅 Many of these Shops (at least the ones I've seen) are run by Very Regular Common Folks who are just trying to earn a Decent Living. 👍
If you would like to search for them on Google Maps, 🌏 search using the word "槟榔" and you will get a Couple of Listings. The Shop I'm at is just one of them that I found this way. 👍
Interior of the Shop
The Shop itself is Old Looking and looks like it has been around for Many Years. 🤔 Really Small Space, feels more like a Storehouse actually. 🤔 There's a Big Commercial Fridge at the Back and some Freezer Boxes.
The Stall Owner is a Very Friendly 大姐 😄 who is sitting at a Little Table working on a Specialized Machine wrapping lots of Betel Nuts. 🌰🌿 Really Friendly Lady, she was Very Patient in Explaining alot of things in this Review. 😄
Obviously not the Sort of Place where you have Long Queues of Customers. The Customers I did saw while I was there were Mostly Middle Aged 大哥 who were also Very Friendly as I chewed Betel Nut and Chit-Chat with them. 🌰🌿
No Seats for "Dining-In" obviously, Customers either buy this for Takeaway or just stand around Chit-Chatting while Chewing. 👍 There is a Paper Cup that will be provided for you to Spit if you need it. 🥤
The Whole Atmosphere had the Sort of Very Chill, Friendly and Relaxing "Chit-Chatting with Smoking Buddies at a Smoking Corner" 🚬 sort of feel. ♥️ Smokers will probably understand what I'm trying to say here. 😅
Nothing Illegal or Sus here, just a Couple of Lads Chilling and Relaxing. 😄
🌰🌿 The 2 Types of Betel Nuts Available
So in this Place, and I suppose for all Betel Nut Shops, there are 2 Types of Betel Nuts:
1) Sweet Betel Nut. Known as 甜味
2) Original Betel Nut. Known as 原味
🌰🌿 Sweet Betel Nut 甜味
This is the One that does not have any Leaf Wrapped around it. 🤔 According to the Friendly 大姐, she would recommend First-Timers to try this one because it has a Sweeter More Agreeable Taste. 😅 The Betel Nut itself is a Hard Green Fruit about the Size of a Small Walnut, 🌰 uniquely split in the Middle showing some Seedlings. It does not have any Particular Aroma. 🤔
When you Chew It, as your Teeth Sinks In, its a Hard Fruit abit like Chewing on a Sugarcane. 🤔
You will Immediately get a Super Strong Herbal Taste that will Slam into your Senses. 😳
Even though its called a "Sweet Betel Nut", there is Nothing Sweet about this. 😅 All you taste is a Very Powerful Strong Cinnamon Taste but its a Very Much Stronger than that. 😅 Imagine combining Star Anise, Cinnamon and Dark Licorice and you will get a Rough Idea how this tastes like. 🤔
THIS Infamous Red Juice 🩸 is the one that Most People will spit it out 💦 because some people find it Too Bitter which is why Many Countries ban this due to People spitting it all over the Place. 😅 The Red Juice 🩸 as you can see in my Photo is Brownish Red in Colour.
According to this 大姐 however, you can actually Swallow this Red Juice 🩸 and you don't actually have to Spit it Out. 👍 Other than the Super Herbly Cinnamony Taste, there are No Other Aftertaste you get when you Drink this Juice down. 🤔
As for the Rest of the Betel Nut, 🌰🌿 eventually just like a Chewing Gum, all the Juices would have been extracted through your Chewing and it will eventually become a Hard Dry Husk that looks similar to the Seed of a Preserved Plum 酸梅. 🤔 Of course you don't swallow this and throw it away. 🚮 I also noticed as I got to the end of the Chewing, that Heat that emanated from my Neck also started to slowly dissipate. 🔥
🌰🌿 Original Betel Nut 原味
This one looks Almost Exactly like the Sweet Version except that there is an Additional Leaf wrapped around it. 🌿 According to the 大姐 she says this is called "荖叶". 🌿🤔 Google Translates this as Betel Leaves which I suppose is the Leaves of the Areca Palm Tree itself.
This one had a Special Procedure before Chewing. 🤔 There is a Small Bit on Top that you need to Bite Off.
You can see how the Procedure looks like in the Below Photos. 📷 Once done, proceed to Chew.
Oh my Goodness...THIS DOES NOT TASTE LIKE THE SWEET ONE!!! 🤯🤯🤯
Unlike the Strong Herbal Cinnamony Taste that I tasted for the Sweet Betel Nut, this one had NONE OF THAT and was actually INTENSELY BITTER. 😝😝😝 I totally cannot describe how bitter this was because this is the Sort of Taste that I immediately disliked and instinctively wanted to spit it out. 😝🙅♂️
Not only that, in addition to the Sudden Intense Heat 🔥🔥🔥 that emanated from my Neck, my Forehead immediately became Sweaty 🥵 and I entered into a VERY INTENSE HIGH when chewing this. 😵💫😵💫😵💫
My Personal Description of this Really Very Intense High
This INTENSE HIGH was SO STRONG, that my Vision became Slightly Blurry, 😵💫 My Arms became Noticeably Weak, 😵 and I actually found myself struggling to stand up straight. 😖 I became very Self-Conscious and was worried that my Speech was Slurring when I was still conversing with the 大姐. 😵💫
As such, my Natural Instinct was to Quickly Excuse Myself and Walked Out of the Shop and Stand at the Side of the Street and Stare into Blank Space. 😳 Tummy also felt abit Uncomfortable. 😣 Even as I took notes on what I felt, I could very noticeably feel my Fingers Trembling. 👋🫨
This Intense High lasted about 15 Mins before it began to slowly subside. 🕒 Even so, out in the Cooling 19C Weather, ❄️ I could still feel the Intense Fiery Heat still emanating from my Neck 🔥🔥🔥 and my Forehead was still Sweating Profusely. 🥵🥵🥵
WOOO!!!! Wow! 😵💫😵💫😵💫 If you are a Smoker reading this, I'd describe this Level of High like Not Smoking for a Year and then Smoke again. 🚬 Imagine that Withdrawal High you get, then Imagine it 100 Times Stronger than That! 😵💫 Really intense, I would NOT recommend for anyone to Smoke 🚬 or Drink Alcohol 🍺 while you're tripping on this. 🫨 Obviously this is Absolutely Not for Children. 🙅♂️
Now this is my Personal Experience coming from someone who is a Non-Smoker who has quit for about 18 Years. 🤔 I have no idea how a Regular Smoker would react to this. 🚬🤔 But No Doubt this is a Very Powerful Stimulant. 🤯
The Human Body is Very Adaptable to such Stimulants. 🤔 I reckon if I were to Chew this Betel Nut Regularly, my Body will probably not react as intensely anymore and slowly adapt to it. 🤔 But that's not something to be proud of actually because that means your Body basically 完蛋了 😵 as its probably already Completely Wrecked to the Point of No Return once you reach this Adapted Stage. 😵😅
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
At the Price of TWD50 (S$2.10) for 5 Betel Nuts (Price is the Same for Sweet 甜味 or Original 原味) 💵 This is Very Affordable although obviously I highly do not recommend for anyone to try because this is a Known Carcinogenic and about as Dangerous as Smoking. 🚬🙅♂️
Not really meant for Recreational Use, the Main Target Audience for this are actually Cab Drivers 🚕 or Long Haul Truck Drivers 🚚 to Chew to keep themselves awake for the Late Night Shifts that they have to endure. 🌃
Having that said, since this is Not Actually Illegal to partake, and although I do not recommend so, 🙅♂️ if you really do want to try, go for both Sweet and Original like what I did. 🤔 Be Mentally Prepared that this doesn't taste anything like a Fruit or Candy. 😅
Even for the Sweet, this is going to taste like the Most Bitter Herbal Thing you've ever tasted. 😝😝😝
If you are someone who enjoy Dark Licorice, you might be able to take it better. 🤔
Even if you are a Regular Smoker, 🚬 Be Very Careful when you try the Original 原味 version 🤔 and ensure that you are at a Safe Location when you try this because your Body might not be able to take such a Powerful Strong Stimulant. 😵💫
For me I may just get the Shakes, 🫨 Blurry Vision 😵💫 or Slurring of Speech. 🗣️ But I can totally see someone else actually Fainting from this. 😵 DO NOT SMOKE or Consume Alcohol 🍺🙅♂️ when eating this Original 原味 Betel Nut.
No Joke, this is a Very Powerful Stimulant and I'm even giving this Warning from an Ex-Smoker Perspective. 🙅♂️
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Betel Nut aside, 🌰🌿 I am Very Grateful for this Very Friendly and Patient 大姐 for taking the time to teach me Step by Step how to consume this Betel Nut. 😄
I'd also like to thank her Equally Chill and Friendly Customers 大哥 that you can see in the Photo for Chit-Chatting with me while we Chewed. 😄 Although not Super Common, Betel Nut Shops 🌰🌿 are Relatively Commonly Available Everywhere in Taiwan 🇹🇼 and you don't specifically have to come to this Particular One.
And so this is it.
This was One of the More Interesting Experience I've had for this Taiwan Trip. 🇹🇼😅 If anything, I hope this Review is able to help shed some Light on the Actual Reality of 台湾摈榔 Taiwan Betel Nuts. 🌰🌿 Unlike how its being depicted in Mainstream Media, 🎥 this is not some Secretive 见不得光 Dark and Shady Illegal Sus Thing. 🤔
At the End of the Day, it is just another Regular Shop run by Regular Hardworking Normal Folks who are just trying their best to earn a Decent Living. 👍
Because of how Friendly and Patient this 大姐 was willing to teach me the Proper Procedures of how to actually eat Betel Nut, 🌰🌿 I'm going to give this Place my Highest Top Score ⭐ even though this is still not something I would recommend anyone to try. 🙅♂️ This 大姐 will probably not see this Blog Post, but I'd like to sincerely thank her here for her Kindness and Assistance! ♥️
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