Areca Nuts and Betel Leaf (binlang, pin-lang)

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Fishing & Agriculture in Champa (ca. 1433)

Most of the men take up fishing for a livelihood; they seldom go in for agriculture, and therefore rice and cereals are not abundant. In the local varieties of rice the kernel is small, long, and reddish. Barley and wheat are both wanting. The people ceaselessly chew areca-nut[8] and betel-leaf.[9]

[8] “Pin-lang (Giles, nos. 9247; 6779); apparently derived from the Cham pinöng through the Amoy colloquial pin-nng; Malay pinang, Areca catechu; the so-called ‘areca­-nut’ (wrongly termed ‘betel-nut’) is the seed of this palm (Hirth and Rockhill, p. 213 ; Wheatley, ‘Commodities’, p. 67).”

[9] “Leaf of Piper betel, chewed with areca-nut parings (Yule and Burnell, under ‘Betel’, p. 89 a).”

- J. V. G. Mills, trans., ed., Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng-lan: The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores [1433], Hakluyt Society Extra Series 42 (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. 1970), Chapter 1: "The Country of Chan City [Champa, Central Vietnam]", pp. 77-85, esp. p. 82, n. 8-9.

Wines & Areca Nut for Entertainment in Bengal (ca. 1433)

For wines, they have three or four varieties—coconut-wine, rice-wine, tree-wine, and jiaozhang wine; they are made in all sorts of ways; [and] mostly they have distilled wines. Tea is not sold in the markets; [and] men use binlang for entertaining people.[13]

[13] "Pinang, areca-nut."

- J. V. G. Mills, trans., ed., Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng-lan: The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores [1433], Hakluyt Society Extra Series 42 (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. 1970), Chapter 1: "The Country of Pang-ko-la [Bengal]", pp. 159-165, esp. p. 161, n. 13.

Chewing Areca Nut in Java (ca. 1433)

The people of the country have no beds or stools for sitting on or sleeping on; and for eating they have no spoons or chopsticks. Men and women take areca-nut and betel-leaf,[14] and mix them with lime made from clam-shells; [and] their mouths are never without this mixture. At the times when they wish to eat their rice, they first take some water and rinse out the dregs of areca-nut in their mouths; then they wash both hands clean and sit round in a circle; they have a dish well-filled with rice which they moisten with butter and gravy; [and] in eating they use the hand to take up [the food] and place it in the mouth. If they are thirsty, then they drink water. When they receive passing guests, they entertain them, not with tea, but only with areca-nut.

[14] “Lao-yeh (Giles, nos. 6792; 12,997), Malay sireh, Piper betle.”

- J. V. G. Mills, trans., ed., Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng-lan: The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores [1433], Hakluyt Society Extra Series 42 (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. 1970), Chapter 2: "The Country of Chao-wa [Java]", pp. 86-97, esp. pp. 92-93, and p. 92, n. 14.

Areca nut at Wedding Ceremonies in Java (ca. 1433)

As to their marriage-rites: the man first goes to the woman’s family house, and the marriage is consummated; three days later the man escorts his bride [home]; whereupon the man’s family beat brass drums and brass gongs, blow on coconut-shell pipes, strike drums made of bamboo tubes, and let off fire­crackers, while in front and behind they are surrounded by men with short knives and round shields. The woman has dishevelled hair, uncovered limbs, and bare feet. Around her she fastens a kerchief with silk embroidery; at her neck she puts on an ornament of gold beads strung together; [and] on her wrists she wears a bracelet ornamented with gold, silver, and other precious things. Relations, friends, and neighbours decorate a boat with such things as areca-nuts, betel-leaves, and sewn strings of grasses and flowers, and form a party to escort the bridal pair in accordance with their rite of congratulating [the newly-wed] on the happy [event]. When they reach the groom’s house, they strike gongs, beat drums, drink wine, and play music. After a few days they disperse.

- J. V. G. Mills, trans., ed., Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng-lan: The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores [1433], Hakluyt Society Extra Series 42 (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. 1970), Chapter 2: "The Country of Chao-wa [Java]", pp. 86-97, esp. p. 95.

Areca nut at Wedding Ceremonies in Siam (ca. 1433)

When men and women marry, they first of all invite a Buddhist priest to escort the groom to the woman’s family-house; and then they direct the Buddhist priest to take some of the maiden’s virginal blood and dab it on the man’s forehead; this [ceremony] is called li shi. After that the marriage is consummated. Three days later they again invite a Buddhist priest and the relatives and friends, and, bearing areca-nut and a decorated boat and other such things, they escort the husband and wife back to the man’s family-house, where they prepare wine, play music, and entertain the relatives and friends.

- J. V. G. Mills, trans., ed., Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng-lan: The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores [1433], Hakluyt Society Extra Series 42 (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. 1970), Chapter 4: "The Country of Hsien Lo [Siam, Thailand]", pp. 102-107, esp. p. 105.