The red stains and betel leaves

When you go to Myanmar, the red stains and betel leaves are one of the things about Myanmar you should know. Almost every street corner in Myanmar has a stand selling kun-ya, a traditional type of stimulant "chewing gum" made of areca nut, betel leaves, dried tobacco leaves, and slaked lime paste that is still popular despite being carcinogenic and harming the user's teeth.

Kun-ya vendors pour the lime paste (calcium hydroxide) on the betel leaf, then sprinkle the tobacco and powdered areca nut on top – sometimes seasoned with cardamom or cloves – before neatly folding the leaf into a square while their clients wait. Chomping on this strong concoction causes users to intermittently spew forth dark-red gobs of sputum, which cover nearly every sidewalk in the Southeast Asian country.

Betel leaves are a moderate stimulant that the locals enjoy chewing on for a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, the leaves cause their lips to moisten, which then mixes with the substance's crimson pigment. People then spit this out onto the street, producing crimson marks. The first thing that comes to mind when you see this ubiquitous marking on the floor is probably blood. But it isn't.

When you visit Myanmar, you will notice people chewing this and become acquainted with the crimson stains that litter the streets. Vendors offer huge green leaves containing the nut, spices, and, on rare occasions, tobacco. If you dare, give it a go.