At a small farmers market in downtown Hilo, several tables have rows of betel nut that are clipped on a line while still attached to their original branches. Others are displayed in sealed plastic bags.
There's no shortage of buyers for the nut, which is also called the areca nut.
Hawai‘i Island farmers and sellers say there's a higher demand for betel nut. But experts warn about the health impacts, as frequent chewing of the tropical seed is linked to cancer.
A text version of this story will be available later today.
