There is a unique combination of nut and leaf that has been chewed and celebrated in Southeast Asia for nearly 4000 years. Most people refer to it as 'betel', but it's actually a combo of betel and the areca nut. It is an extremely bitter (in my opinion) and juicy concoction, and it creates a distinctive red juice that stains the teeth of the 'chewer'. 
In many places in Indonesia, this combination is presented to all guests as they enter a home. I visited one of these places last week, and I made up my mind to try it again (I actually tried it about 6 months ago but failed to keep it in my mouth. I was ridiculed by a 90 year old man and a 5 year old kid who witnessed my failure). This time, there was a group of older men that were all sitting around chewing the stuff, red teeth and all. They gave me tips on how to mix it and chew it. I clumsily combined the betel, the areca, and some chalk powder. It all went in my mouth and stayed in for at least 5 minutes. Success!The price of success was a bitter aftertaste that stayed for much of the day and stained teeth which required several brushings in order to get back to my standard yellowish-whitish tooth color.
