The betel (Piper betle) is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family, which includes pepperand kava. Betel leaf is mostly consumed in Asia, and elsewhere in the world by some Asian emigrants, as betel quid or in paan, with Areca nut and/or tobacco.
All about Wild Betel
The betel leaf is cultivated mostly in South and Southeast Asia, from Pakistan to Papua New Guinea. It needs a compatible tree or a long pole for support. Betel requires well-drained fertile soil. Waterlogged, saline and alkali soils are unsuitable for its cultivation.
In Bangladesh, farmers called barui prepare a garden called a barouj in which to grow betel. The barouj is fenced with bamboo sticks and coconut leaves. The soil is plowed into furrows of 10 to 15 metres’ length, 75 centimetres in width and 75 centimetres’ depth. Oil cakes, manure, and leaves are thoroughly incorporated with the topsoil of the furrows and wood ash. The cuttings are planted at the beginning of the monsoon season.
Proper shade and irrigation are essential for the successful cultivation of this crop. Betel needs constantly moist soil, but there should not be excessive moisture. Irrigation is frequent and light, and standing water should not remain for more than half an hour.
Health Benefits
Some reports may suggest that betel leaf by itself has adverse health effects, in part because of tannins delivered by the leaf and for reasons currently not fully understood. For example, one research paper studied chromosome damaging effect of betel leaf in human leukocyte cultures. These researchers report an increase in the frequency of chromatid aberrations when the leaf extract was added to cultures. Another scientific study from Japan indicates that the lab rats that ate a mixture of betel leaf and areca nuts all had severe thickening of the upper digestive tract whereas after undergoing a diet of betel leaves alone, only one laboratory rat ended up having a forestomach papilloma.
From using it in prayers and religious ceremonies to eating it in the form of a ‘paan’, betel leaves contain many curative and healing health benefits. The leaves are full of vitamins like vitamin C, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and carotene and are a great source of calcium.
Culinary Recipes
BEEF IN WILD BETEL LEAF RECIPE
Fragrantly seasoned grilled rolls of beef wrapped up in wild betel leaf (lá lốt) are a favorite Vietnamese snack that’s great with cold beer or white wine.
When the rolls are cooking, the perfume of Piper sarmentosum is mesmerizing and fills the room. Shiny on one side and matted on the other, the soft, pliable leaves don’t have much character until heat is applied to them, at which point they release their sweetly spicy, incense-like fragrance.
Memorial Day weekend kicks off the grilling season for many Americans, and while I grilled my share of pork ribs last weekend, I also made grilled beef in wild betel leaf. They’re fragrant, fun, and delicious. They’re a favorite Vietnamese snack that’s great with cold beer or white wine. When the rolls are cooking, the perfume of the leaves, called la lot (“lah loht”) in Vietnamese, mesmerizes. The fragrance is uncommon and distinctive. You know it when you smell it.
Wild Betel Roll is related to black pepper. The soft, pliable leaves that don’t display their perfume character until heat is applied to them, at which point they release their sweetly spicy, incense-like fragrance. In other parts of Southeast Asia, wild betel leaves may be cut and enjoyed raw in salads. In Thailand, the raw whole leaves are used to encase little tidbits for a popular street snack called miang kam (mieng kham). In Vietnam, the classic dish is thit bo nuong la lot, which entails rolling up seasoned ground beef in the leaf and grilling up the result. I enjoy la lot in many ways but this Viet preparation is a personal favorite.