Go NuTs......

Nuts… do you need nuts…? If you hear these words after your meal or drink at a restaurant in Male’, don’t be surprised… They actually do serve you NuTs.

“Foahh Kolheh” is the common local term referred to areca nuts & betels. Chewing areca nuts after a meal or in-between meals is a very common thing in Maldivian culture. In the eyes of an Asian and by being a Sri Lankan, I should not be surprised by the sight of chewing betel with areca nuts but it’s very uncommon culinary tradition to serve it at a restaurant.

In Sri Lanka all our grandparents, great great grandparents used to chew betel after a meal or when they are relaxing during afternoon time. But with the time that tradition is slowly fading in Sri Lanka. Younger generation in Sri Lanka do consider chewing betel & areca nuts as a bad habit and do not find it as a pleasant sight.  Even though areca nuts and betel were eaten at houses in Sri Lanka, it was never served in a restaurant or a hotel. That’ why I’m saying it’s an uncommon culinary tradition in the eyes of a Sri Lankan.

All the restaurants and hotels in Male’ serves areca nuts after every meal or a coffee or a refreshing drink. If the waiter is a Maldivian, they will say “do you need Foahh Kolheh” and if it’s a foreigner they will say “do you need nuts”. At first I was bewildered by this.. “do you need nuts”, seriously “nuts?” are you nuts? That’s how I reacted. But fortunately, my husband said they are asking whether you need areca nuts & betel and stop me saying more stupid things. 

Almost all the Maldivians do take Foahh Kolheh  after a meal or a coffee. For chewing, they wrap few slices of areca nuts in a betel leaf along with “huni” (calcium hydroxide or slaked lime) and may include clove, cardamom, harapanu/katha (powder extract of acacia trees) or other spices for extra flavoring.  Betel leaf has a fresh and bitter taste and after chewing it is either spat out into the streets or swallowed.

Rather than chewing betel, younger generation prefer to chew thin slices of dried areca nut. You can also buy these dried nuts in different flavours from every shop in Male’; Roasted, coated in sugar, Kili – a mixture of areca nut with betel, cloves, cardamom and sugar, Supari – small pieces of areca nuts coated in sugar are some that I know of.

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of areca nuts or betel. So, after a meal when the waiter asks me “do you need nuts” I will always refuse. But according to locals chewing areca nuts help them to remove strong food smells and prevent from bad breaths. Next time when you visit Maldives go to a local restaurant and try to taste their culinary tradition by chewing areca nuts.