Can someone help me name this popular plant/drug found in taiwan?

It is an olive sized green seed looking plant that people chew on..i'm not sure if they chew the whole thing or if they chew a part of it. it's supposed to be some sort of drug. what's the english name?

Can someone help me name this popular plant/drug found in taiwan?
The drug you describe is betel nut, commonly chewed in Asia and India for its stimulant effect. A principal active ingredient is the alkaloid arecoline.





The concoction is usually prepared with three ingredients--a nut from the areca palm, some of the leaf, and a red paste of lime. The lime activates the ingredients.





I've chewed betel nut in Taiwan where it's called "bing lang," much to the delight and amusement of locals. It made me sweat profusely, and while the effects were no more intense than a double espresso, it made me a little queasy. Overall, I didn't like it and haven't tried it since.
Reply:Thanks. It's worth trying as a cultural experience but like Mothra said, it's hard on the teeth and can cause mouth cancer if used habitually.. Report Abuse

Reply:Marijuana








Peyote
Reply:I think you mean betel nut. When I was in Taiwan about a couple of years back, I saw many people chewing that. (I never tried it, so I wouldn't know how it tastes!!) I think it is almost available everywhere!
Reply:Olive-sized green seeds that people chew on? Your description sounds like "Bin-lang 妾虫", also known as the Betel Nut.





妾虫 Betel Nut is known to be a mild stimulant, and is often chewed during wintertimes to help beat the cold. Since it has drug properties, therefore betel-nut chewing can be addictive. Excessive chewing WILL stain your teeth red, and puts the chewer at a HIGH RISK of oral cancer.
Reply:it's called a betel nut. they bite off the ends and chew the whole thing, sometimes wrapped in a leaf. they also add lime or calcium carbonate which cause the juices to turn red. after chewing, it'll make you feel warm and cause beer to taste sweet. yuck.