Bua Malus

Ingredients

The chew

• 1areca nut, fresh or dried
• 1betel pepper leaf
• slaked lime paste, from burnt coral or shell

Sometimes added

• a piece of tobacco
• cloves or other spices

Presentation

• a woven basket or a cloth
• offered with both hands

Directions

1. Bua malus is the betel and areca chew of Timor-Leste.
2. Bua is the areca nut and malus is the betel leaf.
3. It is not a food and it is not swallowed.
4. It is chewed and the red juice is spat out.
5. This entry records a custom rather than a recipe.
6. It is included because it matters enormously in Timorese life.
7. It is offered to guests as a basic act of hospitality.
8. It is presented at ceremonies and at negotiations.
9. It is placed at funerals and at graves.
10. Refusing it can be read as a real insult.
11. A serious health warning must come first.
12. Areca nut is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen.
13. That classification comes from the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
14. Group 1 means there is sufficient evidence it causes cancer in humans.
15. Chewing it causes cancers of the mouth, throat and oesophagus.
16. It also causes oral submucous fibrosis, which stiffens the mouth.
17. That condition is progressive and cannot be reversed.
18. The risk is present without any tobacco added.
19. Adding tobacco increases the risk considerably further.
20. None of this is disputed in the medical literature.
21. This atlas does not recommend chewing it.
22. It is recorded here because it is culturally central.
23. Understanding the three parts is the useful knowledge.
24. The areca nut is the seed of the areca palm.
25. It is often called betel nut, which is misleading.
26. The nut and the leaf come from two different plants.
27. The betel leaf comes from a climbing pepper vine.
28. Its botanical name is Piper betle.
29. The lime is calcium hydroxide, slaked lime paste.
30. It is made by burning coral or shell and slaking it in water.
31. That lime is what releases the alkaloids from the nut.
32. Without it the chew has very little effect.
33. Preparing the chew is done by hand.
34. The areca nut is split or sliced into pieces.
35. Fresh green nuts and dried nuts are both used.
36. A betel leaf is taken and smeared with lime paste.
37. Only a small smear of lime is used.
38. Too much lime burns the inside of the mouth.
39. The nut is placed on the leaf.
40. The leaf is folded around it into a small parcel.
41. Chewing it produces the characteristic red juice.
42. The parcel is chewed slowly rather than swallowed.
43. The mixture turns bright red within moments.
44. That red comes from a reaction between the components.
45. The juice is spat out and never swallowed.
46. Red stains on pavements are a common sight in Dili.
47. Long-term chewing stains the teeth deep red or black.
48. The stimulant effect is mild and comes on quickly.
49. Arecoline is the main active alkaloid in the nut.
50. Understanding the social role is the important part.
51. Bua malus is offered when a guest arrives at a house.
52. It is presented with both hands as a mark of respect.
53. Woven baskets are made specifically to hold it.
54. It appears at marriage negotiations between families.
55. It is exchanged as part of formal agreements.
56. It is left at graves as an offering to the dead.
57. It marks the opening of ceremonies of many kinds.
58. Elders in particular chew it throughout the day.
59. Declining it politely is possible for visitors.
60. A polite refusal is understood from foreigners.
61. Accepting the basket and passing it on is one option.
62. Explaining that you do not chew is usually accepted.
63. The offering itself is the meaningful part.
64. A note on where it is found is worth adding.
65. The chew is common across South and Southeast Asia.
66. It is used in India, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and Taiwan.
67. Hundreds of millions of people chew it worldwide.
68. Public health campaigns run against it in several countries.
69. Some countries have restricted or banned its sale.
70. Those campaigns exist precisely because of the cancer risk.

Technique

• Areca nut is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 carcinogen, causing cancers of the mouth and throat and oral submucous fibrosis, with or without added tobacco.
• The chew is central to Timorese hospitality, ritual and negotiation, and is offered to guests, presented at ceremonies and left at graves.
• The nut comes from the areca palm and the leaf from a climbing pepper vine, so the common name betel nut conflates two different plants.

Substitutions

• There is no substitute, and this entry is a record of a custom rather than a recipe to follow.
• Visitors who do not wish to chew can politely decline, which is generally understood.

Variations

• Some chewers add tobacco to the parcel, which raises the health risk further.
• Cloves and other spices are added in some places.
• The same chew is used across South and Southeast Asia under many different names.

History

Central to Timorese ritual and hospitality, presented at ceremonies, negotiations and funerals; the chew stains the mouth deep red.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bua Malus?

Bua Malus is a snack from Timor-Leste: areca nut with betel leaf and lime, chewed constantly and offered to guests. Central to Timorese ritual and hospitality, presented at ceremonies, negotiations and funerals; the chew stains the mouth deep red.

How long does Bua Malus take to make?

Bua Malus takes 5 minutes of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes not a recipe. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Bua Malus?

Yes, within limits. There is no substitute, and this entry is a record of a custom rather than a recipe to follow. Visitors who do not wish to chew can politely decline, which is generally understood.