The psychostimulant plant known
as qat—which contains compounds that are chemically similar to ephedrine
and amphetamines—is banned in the US and much of Europe. But in Israel,
it's legal, prolific, and delicious to chew.
The Etrog Man foisted another bunch of qat leaves upon me and
entreated me to shove them into my mouth. My cheek was already bursting
with a wad of masticated green pulp comprised of cardamom pods, clove,
almonds, and raisins, along with qat, the leaves of a psychostimulant plant banned in the US and much of Europe.
Here in Israel, however, qat is legal and prolific. Uzi-Eli, a 72-year-old white-bearded, jowly Yemeni known as the Etrog Man for his citron-based juices and remedies, purveys not only the plant but juices spiked with it.
The
Etrog Man foisted another bunch of qat leaves upon me and entreated me
to shove them into my mouth. My cheek was already bursting with a wad of
masticated green pulp comprised of cardamom pods, clove, almonds, and
raisins, along with qat, the leaves of a psychostimulant plant banned in the US and much of Europe.
Here in Israel, however, qat is legal and prolific. Uzi-Eli, a 72-year-old white-bearded, jowly Yemeni known as the Etrog Man for his citron-based juices and remedies, purveys not only the plant but juices spiked with it.
Qat, known locally as gat, has been blamed for stoking the flames of conflict in Somalia and desiccating Yemen
to the point of catastrophe. It was introduced to Israel by Yemenite
Jews who immigrated en masse in 1949 and 1950 and brought the tradition
of chewing the leaves as a stimulant from southern Arabia. Two main
varieties, red and white, are available on the market in Israel, the
former being significantly more potent ("crazy," Uzi-Eli called it).
The
alkaloids present in qat, cathinone and cathine, are chemically similar
to ephedrine and amphetamines. Its effects are similar to a strong cup
of coffee, or a small hit of Adderall. A Knesset research document
explaining the effects of the narcotic to Israeli lawmakers listed
euphoria, vigor, reduced fatigue, increased focus, suppressed appetite,
excessive self-confidence, and increased libido.
"Choose the young
leaves. That's where the active substance is," Uzi-Eli instructs me as
we sit in his store in a frenetic corner of Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda
market. The taste is earthy and bitter, perhaps reminiscent of a
giraffe's lunch.
The tender green leaves and shoots are easy to
chew and pack into a wad against the cheek like chewing tobacco, which
one keeps there for at least a half hour for the drug to take effect. A German study in 2003 demonstrated that much of the active components in qat are absorbed through the buccal lining.
"It's a social drug," he said. "You sit around in a group, chewing, talking, learning, telling stories."
Among Yemenite Jews, qat is traditionally chewed communally in an evening gathering called a tahzina. Sitting in a circle, users (predominantly elderly men) pack a wad, smoke nargila, and sip arak while studying Jewish literature.
In
recent years, however, the drug has found a broader appeal among
non-Yemenite Israelis, who prefer qat juice for its quick kick that
doesn't require a mouthful of chaw. Figures of how many Israelis consume
qat are hard to come by, but qat sellers speculate it's around 100,000.
As
I chew the green pulp, Uzi-Eli tosses a bundle of qat branches into a
blender with a lemon and some ice, before straining the seafoam-hued
concoction into a small glass. The citric acid balances the alkaline
taste, lending the murky drink fruity overtones. Having chewed the
leaves for a nearly a half hour, a tingle had already started creeping
along my scalp and down my spine. Tossing back the shot of qat juice
quickly brought my surroundings into sharper focus.
"Too much of
it is terrible," he said, warning against dosing above 100 grams of raw
leaves, which induces a strung-out, jittery sensation.
Among the
juices sold at his shop, the citron and qat juice is by far the most
popular, Uzi-Eli insisted. A 16-ounce cup costs the equivalent of about
$4, and is enough to do the trick. He also sells plain qat juice and a
brewed qat concentrate, the latter a concoction of qat leaves, cinnamon,
and cardamom that has an astringent taste.
A
spokesperson for Israel's Anti-Drug Authority clarified that while
growing and chewing qat leaves is legal, anything manufactured from the
plant, in theory, isn't. Israel banned hagigat, an ecstasy-like
party drug that includes synthesized cathinone, in 2009. Qat juices that
became all the rage in Israel a few years ago, he said, "were not
exactly qat" because they had been fortified with synthesized cathinone
and cathine.
This legal grey zone makes many qat growers reticent
to talk to the press about their business for fear of prosecution.
Several contacted by MUNCHIES declined requests for interviews because
of unspecified legal embroilments resulting from their qat business.
Although
higher altitudes purportedly produce more potent qat leaves, most of
the production in Israel is limited to the lowlands. Saplings are
readily purchased at garden shops in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. A gardener
at Rosen Herbs, a nursery outside Haifa that grows and distributes young
qat plants, said that unlike Kenya or Yemen, qat production in Israel
is limited to small-scale patches dotting central Israel's fertile
coastal plain. Yemenite families in towns such as Rosh Ha'ayin and
Gadera tend massive bushes of it in their gardens, or in the forecourts
of synagogues.
Because the cathinone in qat leaves starts to break
down a little more than a day after being picked, a growing number of
companies in the Tel Aviv area offer same-day home delivery.
Idan
Sharabi started growing qat about ten years ago in the predominantly
Yemenite Tel Aviv suburb of Rosh Ha'ayin. On a 1.2-acre plot he farms a
dense thicket of about 4,000 qat bushes. Qat bushes, he said, are
spoiled, requiring plenty of sun and water to thrive properly.
Sharabi first started selling bundles of qat at corner stores and kiosks around Tel Aviv, but a few years back he launched a website
offering qat home delivery, charging about $12 for a kilogram of the
more potent red variety. Today he said he has about 200 regular
customers each month and a growing number of others trying the juice
out.
He first caught onto qat as an alternative to conventional
pharmaceutical drugs for ADHD. After trying the leaves, he opted to
switch to a more "natural" option.
"People
use it like Ritalin," said Sharabi, especially partygoers in Israel's
city that never sleeps. "In recent years, the juice has become really
trendy with everything connected to parties, events, weddings, and
bars."
Despite crackdowns by Israeli authorities on cranked-up qat
juices, freshly blended qat juice remains available on the streets of
Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Just last month Uzi-Eli opened a second shop
hawking qat and citron products in Tel Aviv's Carmel Market.
A generation ago, qat was mostly consumed by Yemenites, Sharabi said, but "today it's something that crosses ethnic lines."
Global Khat (Plant) Market Outlook 2018-2025: Djibouti, Kenya,
Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen
Colorado
Daily LedgerWednesday November 7, 2018 by
kingjohn
The global “Khat (Plant) market” report is a meticulous study
of the global Khat (Plant) market illustrating the up-to-date details
in the market. It also predicts the growth of industry in the next
few years. The Khat (Plant) report evaluates various aspects that
describe the volume as well as the growth of the global Khat (Plant)
market. Additionally, it provides a determined business outlook of
the market along with the summary of some of the leading market
players. In this report, the global Khat (Plant) market is valued at
USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the
end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023. The
prominent players in the global Khat (Plant) market are Djibouti,
Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Israel.
The global Khat (Plant) report covers the revenue segmentation,
product contributions, and business overview of the leading players
in the Khat (Plant) market. It utilizes the latest developments in
the global Khat (Plant) market to evaluate the market share of the
prominent market players in the upcoming period. The report features
the strong points and limitations of the well-known players through
SWOT analysis. It also assesses their growth in the market.
Additionally, the global Khat (Plant) market report covers the major
product categories and segments Plant, Plant Extract along with their
application and sub-segments Drug, Other in detail.
Ads
By Google
The
assessment is predicted with the help of in-depth market research. It
also features the impact of Porter’s Five Forces on the market
expansion. The Khat (Plant) market study analyzes the global Khat
(Plant) market in terms of revenue [USD Million] and size [k MT].
Further, the report analyzes the global Khat (Plant) market based on
the product type and consumer segments. It also calculates the growth
of each segment in the Khat (Plant) market over the predicted time.
Read Detailed Index of Full Research Study at:
www.qymarketresearch.com/report/213263#report-details
The global Khat (Plant) research report presents data collected
from various regulatory organizations to assess the growth of every
segment. In addition, the study also assesses the global Khat (Plant)
market on the basis of the geography. It analyzes the micro and
macroeconomic factors affecting the market growth in each region. The
global Khat (Plant) market is further bifurcated on the basis of the
regions Latin America, Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the
Middle East & Africa too. There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Khat (Plant)
market
Chapter 1, Definition, Specifications and Classification of Khat
(Plant), Applications of Khat (Plant), Market Segment by
Regions; Chapter 2, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain
Structure, Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material, and
Suppliers; Chapter 3, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, Technical
Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Khat (Plant), Capacity and
Commercial Production Date, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw
Materials Sources Analysis; Chapter 4, Overall Market Analysis,
Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Capacity Analysis (Company
Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment); Chapter 5 and 6,
Regional Market Analysis that includes the United States, China,
Japan, Europe, Korea & Taiwan, Khat (Plant) Segment Market
Analysis (by Type); Chapter 7 and 8, Major Manufacturers Analysis
of Khat (Plant), The Khat (Plant) Segment Market Analysis (by
Application); Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market
Trend, Market Trend by Product Type Plant, Plant Extract, Market
Trend by Application Drug, Other; Chapter 10, International Trade
Type Analysis, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, Supply Chain
Analysis; Chapter 11, The Consumers Analysis of Global Khat
(Plant) industry; Chapter 12, Khat (Plant) Research Findings and
Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source; Chapter 13, 14
and 15, Khat (Plant) sales channel, traders, distributors, dealers,
Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.
Enquire Here Get customization & check discount for Khat
(Plant) market @
www.qymarketresearch.com/report/213263#inquiry-for-buying Reasons for Buying Khat (Plant) Market Report
• This report offers in-depth analysis of changing competition
dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors • It offers a
six-year forecast assessed based on how the market is expected to
grow • It offers a forward-looking perspective on various
factors driving or restraining market growth • It guides in
understanding the key product segments and their future • It
guides in making informed business decisions by having complete
insights of market and by making pin-point analysis of market
segments and sub-segments
Thanks for reading this report; you can also get individual
chapter wise, section or region wise report versions like North
America, Europe or Asia.
Among Yemenite Jews, qat is traditionally chewed communally in an evening gathering called a tahzina. Sitting in a circle, users (predominantly elderly men) pack a wad, smoke nargila, and sip arak while studying Jewish literature.
A
spokesperson for Israel's Anti-Drug Authority clarified that while
growing and chewing qat leaves is legal, anything manufactured from the
plant, in theory, isn't. Israel banned hagigat, an ecstasy-like
party drug that includes synthesized cathinone, in 2009. Qat juices that
became all the rage in Israel a few years ago, he said, "were not
exactly qat" because they had been fortified with synthesized cathinone
and cathine.
