Ngi lah ju ïoh bun ki paralok tang na ka jingïasam bad ka jingïabam kwai 😄😄
U kwai uba ngi ki Khasi ngi bam u don la ka jong ka jingïathuhkhana. U kwai u long ruh ka kamai kajih jong kiba bun ki ïing ki sem Khasi.
We have forged many friendships through the giving and eating of kwai, the betel nut and the betel leaf dashed with some lime. 😄😄
The kwai that we Khasis eat even has its own folktale too. Kwai is also the source of livelihood of many Khasi families.
"U Duma Kyllaiñ" or rolled tobacco which is the Khasi rolled cigarette can still be seen in use. 😄😄 This picture was taken by @kronosynchronicity in Nongstoiñ.
Khublei Shibun @kronosynchronicity for sending this! 🙏🙏
U Wái Laper is a different and smaller species of kwai or areca nut. The tree of this kwai does not grow as tall as the regular kwai. Growing in the summer season, its cover is thin and it is quite tasty even though it can be hard and tough to chew. This smaller species of Kwai grows in the War Khasi and War Jaintia areas. Please tell us more if you know about U Wái Laper!
"U Wái Laper" is a miniature version of the regular Khasi kwai (Betel nut) which people say is quite tasty 😀😀
Thank you @nongkyndong_lens for sending this entry! 🙏
Pashat 'waidong ka dei ka jingaidak ka samla kynthei ïa u samla shynrang da kaba ai 'wai dong. Ka long ka rukom ai sngewbha ka samla ïa u briew uba ka ïapmat. Ïa kane la ju leh da kiba khraw bad ki syiem hyndai.
"Pashat 'waidong" is an old practice where the woman gives betel nut that has been cut and rolled with betel leaf to the man with whom she is enamoured. This indicates her liking of him. The 'waidong is presented as a gift from the woman to the man and this was mainly practised by royal and noble families.
"Pashat 'Wáidong" is an old Khasi practice (which may be described as a courtship practice) where the woman chooses and shows to all the man whom she is besotted with. 😁🤩😁🤩
Te haba kumta phei ki Thei ba stad to pynkhreh noh u 'wáidong haba phei lah iohi ia u Rang ba biang nadong shadong 😂😂 Phei ki Rangkynsai roh, donbok phin ia ioh u 'wáidong ba kynsai kum ma phei! 😄😄
Source: Ka Dienshonhi: The Khasi Encyclopaedic Dictionary by Rev. Dr. Ïarington Kharkongor
" 'Wáikaa" is kwai that is still on the branches of the tree.
" 'Wáinat" is kwai that has been plucked from the tree but it has not yet been removed from the bunch.
" 'Wáiphiah" is kwai that has been cut into two or four pieces and that is to be divided and distributed. This kwai is also given to the bridegroom and his relatives by the bride's uncle on the wedding day. The two parties meet at a designated spot before the wedding as the bridegroom is on the way to the ceremony. This giving of kwai is symbolic of the welcome given to the bridegroom.
" 'Wáikhaw" or " 'wái-im" is kwai that is the new batch of nuts that still have the outer skin intact. This kwai is eaten in the winter.
" 'Wáiskop" is kwai that has been soaked and immersed in water for some time so that it is preserved, with the outer skin becoming fibrous. This kwai is eaten in the summer.
" 'Wáikhud" is kwai that has been peeled and cleaned.
" 'Wáidong" is kwai that has been folded and rolled with betel leaf.
" 'Wáidung" is kwai and betel leaf that has been ground especially for old people.
" 'Wailing" contains two kwai (kwai synrap or twins) nuts in one covering.
Our beloved "Kwai" 😄❤️ what would we do without you? A staple in all Khasi homes, it is a family member who cannot be forgotten 😀 Immortalised in Khasi folklore, it is an iconic part of Khasi life, culture and community.
Picture: Google (The kwai in the picture is 'Wái-im)