1, expelling miasma
Hunan people love eat areca, which is said to be related to the plague. Legend has it that during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, a plague prevailed in Hunan, and many people fell ill and vomited and died, while some Hainan businessmen in Hunan at that time were safe and sound. According to observation, these Hainanese have always loved eat areca, so the legend that betel nut can dispel evil and resist diseases spread. Many vendors have introduced areca nut from Hainan as a good medicine for treating diseases. Over time, eat areca has become a custom in Hunan.
2. It is related to the climate in Hunan.
Hunan people like to chew betel nut, which is really related to the climate. Although Hunan does not produce betel nuts, it is wet and cold in winter, which is lower than that of Taiwan Province Province and Hainan Province. In addition, most residents have no heating in their homes (generally, baking stoves, coal stoves, etc.) ), chewing betel nut, the body is warm, warm and comfortable.
3. Social bridge
There is an old saying in Xiangtan that "keeping a wife, daily necessities, hospitality, betel nut cigarettes". It can be seen that betel nut is important to Xiangtan people. In Xiangtan, betel nuts are indispensable for entertaining guests at home on holidays. Guests don't have to offer cigarettes or tea before entering the door. Just a bite of betel nut is enough to show the sincerity of the owner.
Betel nut is also a social medium in social occasions. Before strangers say hello, handing a betel nut will also bring them closer. So this is also an important reason why Xiangtan people will bring one or two packs of betel nuts in their outer pockets when they go out.
Extended data
Betel nut (scientific name: betel nut? L) Areca catechu is an evergreen tree of Palmae, with erect stem and tree shape, with a height of more than10m, up to 30m, obvious annular leaf scars, monoecious, multi-branched inflorescences, oblong ovary, oblong or ovoid fruit, ovoid seeds and flowering period of March-April.
Areca catechu is native to Malaysia, and China is mainly distributed in tropical areas such as Yunnan, Hainan and Taiwan Province. Widely cultivated in tropical Asia.
Areca nut is an important Chinese herbal medicine, and some ethnic minorities in the south still use it as a chewing hobby.
According to the statistics of drug administration, there are 225 kinds of drugs containing betel nut in China. Generally speaking, betel nut has the efficacy of "killing insects and breaking accumulation, reducing qi and stagnation, promoting diuresis and eliminating dampness", and has been used to treat parasitic infections such as tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms and ginger worms.
Simo Decoction, which consists of areca nut, linderae root, ginseng and agarwood, is mainly used to treat "seven emotions against qi, shortness of breath in the morning, making people stop eating and stuffy food". There is a folk tradition that babies take Simotang one week after birth. It is said that it is good for the child's stomach, and it won't make trouble in the future.
References:
Areca catechu (Areca of Palmae) _ Baidu Encyclopedia