Nagaland tourism minister Temjen Imna Along asked people to never forget having a taste of betelnuts while coming to Northeast India
Known as tamul in Assam and Nagaland, kwai in Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram, betelnuts are a traditional snack loved by the people of Northeast India
Sharing a picture of betelnuts and betel leaves on X, Along wrote in Hindi, “Iss route mein sabhi laino pur tamul, kwai hain (There are tamul, kwai …on all lines of this route)”
“Northeast mein aakar iska swad lena mat bhulo. Baad me ye mat bolna ki batayein nahin (Don't forget to come to Northeast and taste it! Don't say later that you didn't tell me!!) “ he added
Meanwhile, a netizen jokingly asked Along whether he could send some betelnuts to him
“Kya aap mere liye ise bhejwa sakte hain (Can you send some to me)” he wrote
Along asked him to come to Northeast India to get a real taste of betel nut
“You have to come for real taste,” said Along
Be it for cultural functions, regular consumption as a snack or as refreshment for every guest, betelnut is a mandatory accompaniment almost everywhere in Northeast India
With regular munching of betel leaves and betelnuts, it is not uncommon to see people of Northeast India having red mouths