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These are the typical ingredients for sirih chewing — a common habit amongst the Kadazandusuns women, as common as smoking — in other parts of the world, the sirih chewing is quite similar to tobacco chewing.

The chalk (made from burnt and crushed seashell), gambir and sometimes betel nuts (pinang aka areca catechu); are all wrapped in the betel leaves (sirih); and chewed for about 3- 5 minutes; the paste is then mixed with the tobacco where it forms about a pencil-tip sized ball, to be placed on the mouth for its bitter, and pleasing (??) taste.

The sap from the sirih ball actually makes the lips red (yes, this can be a traditional form of lipstick); and also stains the teeth.

And this is what my mom has been consuming for more that half-century now… and she does own a beautiful sets of stained teeth.