Picture of Qat plants in a plantation near San'a (Qat, Yemen)

Qat plants can be found anywhere in the highlands

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Apart from its attractions, nature, history and people, Yemen is special for one other habit: chewing qat. Impossible to ignore, it is one of the major national pastimes and takes a large part of the afternoon.
Come the afternoon, there is but one thing on most Yemeni men's mind: getting qat. After having lunch, chewing qat is the main activity until dinner. But before being able to chew it, it must be bought. Qat are leaves that are best chewed fresh, so it has to be bought new every day. When you travel by bus or taxi, the driver will often actively search for good qat, tasting it, and if it is approved, not only the driver, but also the passengers will buy their plastic bag of qat. Inevitably, the foreigner is often offered a few leaves of qat and it certainly entertains Yemenis to see visitors chewing qat. Although I inevitably was offered qat often by the friendly Yemenis, I never acquired the taste for it.
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