The Betel (Piper betle) is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family, which includes pepper and Kava. It is valued both as a mild stimulant and for its medicinal properties.

Chewing areca nut is an increasingly rare custom in the modern world. Yet once, not so long ago, areca nut ??taken with the leaf of the betel tree and lime paste ??was widely consumed throughout South and Southeast Asia by people of all social classes, and was considered an essential part of daily life.