Betel Oil

#### Betel Oil. **Betel**** ****Oil**** **is also known as "**Pan**** ****Oil**". The essential oil is produced by steam distillation from the leaves of **Piper Betle, **a vine of the pepper family. The plant grows widely over the entire area between South Arabia and Southeast China. Production of oil takes place in India, China, Malaya and Pakistan. **Betel Oil **is yellow to brown, occasionally dark brown. It may discolor significantly during shipping if the container is an iron drum. The odor of the oil is distinctly phenolic, almost tar-like or "smoky". There is a great deal of resemblance to the odor of maté-leaves (or maté absolute) and to certain types of Chinese tea. The flavor of **Betel**** ****Oil**** **is bitter -acrid, warm and unpleasantly sharp, biting. The peculiar odor and flavor of this oil is due to its very high content of phenols which total about 75% of the oil. The most important of these phenols are: Chavibetol (also called betel phenol), Chavicol (which is para allyl phenol), **Allyl Pyrocatechol **(hydroxy chavicol), etc. Since **Betel**** ****Oil**** **is produced in Tongkin, it is not surprising that adulteration occasionally occurs with materials such as camphor oil. This addition is, however, clearly perceptible on an odor and flavor test or through a chemical analysis. **Betel**** ****Oil**** **is primarily used in the Far East in preparations similar to the betel chew, (i.e. areca nuts, wrapped in betel leaves and spiced with various pungent botanicals. The betel leaves in this preparation represent the antiseptic part of the chew. The areca nuts are erroneously called betel nuts because of their use in this popular Eastern tonic masticatory. Betel Oil has little or no application in European or American perfumery or flavor work.