Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EATING THE FLOWERS OF PARADISE
The first thing every new arrival in Yemen will notice are the bulging cheeks of the qat chewer. Qat, khat, chat or
miraa are the leaves of the shrub Catha edulis . Originally from Ethiopia, the qat plant has spread across parts of
East Africa and into Yemen where the afternoon qat-chewing session has become almost the pivotal point of
many Yemeni lives.
Classed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate psych-
ical dependence, it has been banned in most Arab and Western countries, including Saudi Arabia where posses-
sion is a serious offence, the US and almost all European nations except for the UK where it's currently legal.
Chewing qat is an important social activity in Yemen and around 80% of the male population are thought to be
regular chewers. Women also chew but to a lesser degree (45%) and much more discreetly, as do an increasing
number of young children. Qat plays an important part in the Yemeni economy, both good and bad. For farmers
the profit on qat is five times that of crops, and these profits have done something to slow down the drift to urban
areas. On the negative side, 17% of the average family's income is spent on qat and, with each chewer often
spending four hours every afternoon chewing, over 14.6 million working hours are lost daily in Yemen.
Environmentally the consequences of qat are bad news. The total amount of land given over to qat has grown
from 8000 hectares in 1970 to 103,000 in 2000. Qat is also a thirsty plant and 40% of all the water used in Yemen
goes on watering it.
The effects of qat have long been debated - most Yemenis will insist that it gives an unbeatable high, makes
you more talkative (at least until the come down when the chewer becomes withdrawn and quiet), suppresses
hunger, prevents tiredness and increases sexual performance. Others will tell you that it gives no noticeable high,
makes you lethargic, slightly depressed, constipated and reduces sex drive!
If you're going to chew qat, you need to make sure the setting is perfect in order to enjoy the experience. Ask
for the sweetest qat you can get (most Yemenis regard this as poor quality, but first-time chewers find even this
very bitter) and get a good group of people together to chew with, because qat is, above all else, a social drug.
Take yourself off to a quiet and comfortable spot (ideally a mafraj: literally 'room with a view'), sit back, relax
and enjoy the conversation while popping leaves individually into your mouth where you literally just store them
in one cheek and gently chew them. All going well you'll be a qat 'addict' by the end of the day, but remember
when it comes to the end of the qat session you should spit the gooey mess out - only Ethiopians swallow.
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