(1) The term 檳榔 is used in Taiwan. 檳榔 is said to be the transliteration
of "pinang"--the word in both Malaysia and Indonesia, where the plant
reportedly originated.
(2) It is commonly referred to as "betel nut," which is considered a minomer
. See
Areca nut
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areca_nut
("The Areca nut is the seed of the Areca palm (Areca catechu) * * * for
chewing, a few slices of the nut are wrapped in a Betel [sic] leaf along
with lime and may include clove, cardamom, catechu (kattha), etc. for extra
flavouring. Betel leaf has a fresh, peppery taste, but it can be bitter
depending on the variety")
(a) Pay only attention to the graphic titled "Areca nut and betel leaf
consumption in the world." Few people in China consume it.
(b) Therefore, according to Wikipedia, betel leaf is "the leaf of a vine."
(3) An overview of arena nut in Taiwan:
Betel nut chewing proves a tough habit to crack. Taiwan Headlines, Apr. 6,
2006.
http://www.taiwan.com.au/Soccul/Services/Health/2006/0406.html
Note: The report states, "In 2004, Taiwan's betel nut industry had an output
worth NT$11.5 billion [about $300 million]--the nation's second biggest
crop [in value], after rice." Roughly 10% of adults in Taiwan egularly use
it.
(a) "A large, muscular man, Tsai nonetheless looks tiny striding through the
betel-nut orchard. When his sharp eyes pick out a tree with ripe fruit, he
extends his telescoping scythe and brings a bunch of betel nuts tumbling
down with a single swipe. He catches the bunch, tosses it back to his
assistant, then re-extends his scythe to go after another. Wielding the 13-
meter, four-kilogram scythe nonstop, Tsai harvests an entire two-hectare
orchard in an hour. After delivering the fruits of his labor to his
distribution center, he sets off to harvest another of his orchards. With
several hundred swipes of his telescoping scythe, Tsai manages to cover more
than ten hectares in just one morning."
Coral Lee, Betel--A Hard Nut to Crack. Taiwan Panorama 台灣光華雜誌, August
2008.
http://www.sino.gov.tw/en/print.php?id=200889708034e.txt&table=2
(b) 陳鳳麗, 鄉代心血 割菁仔免濺血. Liberty Times, Oct. 16, 2007.
http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2007/new/oct/16/today-so12.htm