Thimphu: In the absence of imported betel leaves following the lockdown in India, people, who love chewing doma are now shifting to locally grown betel leaves. And local betel leave growers in Gelegphu are doing brisk business, selling a bundle for Nu. 30. 

Vendors in Gelegphu market said that Bhutanese are fond of the imported betel leaves popularly known as ‘Bangla Pata’ and ‘Mithay Pata’, according to the Bhutanese Expression. However, customers have no choice but to opt for local betel leaves and are hoping they will eventually grow a taste for it.

Some of the shopkeepers selling the local betel leaves said that the absence of the imported betel leaves has affected their sales. They are able to sell only betel leaves worth around Nu 100 a day. In the past, daily sales of imported betel leaves would be anywhere from Nu 400 to Nu 1000.

Doma consumption is popular among many Bhutanese although medical experts regard it as an unhealthy addiction and associate it with the rising oral and stomach cancers in the country.