Areca is a genus of about 50 species of single-stemmed palms in the family Arecaceae; found in humid tropical forests from Malaysia to the Solomon Islands.

The nut is commonly used in conjunction with betel leaf; a mild stimulant. The combination of this and tobacco is chewed in a quid.

Betel leaf is mostly consumed in Asia; and elsewhere in the world by some Asian emigrants; as betel quid or paan; with or without tobacco; in an addictive psycho-stimulating and euphoria-inducing formulation with adverse health effects.

Chewing areca nut is an increasingly rare custom in the modern world. Yet once; not so long ago; areca nut - taken with the leaf of the betel tree and lime paste - was widely consumed throughout South and Southeast Asia by people of all social classes; and was considered an essential part of daily life.

The seed of the monocot group of flowering plants; rice is a cereal grain that comes in two major strains: Oryza sativa or Asian rice; and Oryza glaberrima or African rice.

For a large portion of the world's population; particularly those in Central; East and South Asia; rice is one of the most important and most widely consumed food sources.

Etymologically the word rice comes from the Old French 'ris'; dated from around the mid-13th century. The Old French term itself is believed to have been derived from the Italian 'riso'; which in turn came from the Latin word 'oriza'; and the Latin word derived from the Greek 'oruza'; from which all European words for rice originate. Pictures From Asia David Henley