Menginang

A Javanese woman prepared betel leaf, circa 1880.

Bersirih, nyirih or menginang is a Malay-Indonesian tradition of chewing materials such as nut, betel, gambier, tobacco, clove and limestone.^[1] Menginang tradition or chewing betel nut is widespread among Indonesian ethnic groups, especially among Javanese, Balinese and Malay, and it dates back to more than 3000 years.^[2] Records of travelers from China showed that betel and areca had been consumed since the 2nd century BC.^[2]

Ingredients

Ingredients of menginang includes nut, betel, gambier, tobacco, clove and limestone.^[1] Its contents, especially areca nut with addition of tobacco, has a mild stimulant effects,^[3] inducing an addictive psychostimulating euphoria.

Equipments

Balinese cerana or betel nut container.

A complete and elaborate set of sirih pinang equipments is called Tepak Sirih, Pekinangan or Cerana. It is made of wooden lacquerware, brass or silverwares and consists of combol (containers), bekas sirih (leaf container), kacip (press-knive to cut areca nut), gobek (small pestle and mortar), and ketur (spit container).^[1] It was said that Sirih Pinang has become a symbol of Malay culture.^[4]

Tradition

Five Tanggai dancers performs during a wedding ceremony. A tepak sirih betel nut container is sit in front of them.

In Malay archipelago, the menginang or betel nut chewing has become a revered activity in local tradition; as it has become a ceremoniously conducted gesture to honor a guest. The Malay oral tradition uses phrases such as "Betel door opener home", "Betel door opener heart".^[4] Menginang is used at many formal occasions such as marriages, births, deaths, and healings.^[5] Numbers of Malay traditional dances — such as South Sumatran Tanggai dance, are in fact describing the dancers bringing cerana or tepak sirih equipment and ceremoniously present an offering of betel nut to the revered guest.

References