Buai anyone?

During the ceremony betel nut is also distributed and shared.

Betel nut, also known as buai, comes from a palm that grows in the coastal areas of many tropical countries, including PNG. It is traditionally prized and is of enormous importance in PNG culture. It is chewed at ceremonies and gatherings and when and wherever possible by those who indulge. In the West you are offered a cup of tea or coffee - in PNG you sit around with your friends and chew buai.

The nut is shredded of its fibrous outer layer, cracked between the teeth and the nut inside chewed with daka (mustard seed stick), dipped in kambang (powder made from crushed coral lime). It results in a mouthful of vivid red spittle which is then usually spat out onto the ground.

It apparently is able to quench one’s thirst, keep hunger pains at bay, cure stomach upsets and take away bad breath. It is also thought to be an aphrodisiac by some. It is a mild narcotic and becomes addictive. The lime is very caustic and can cause cancer.