GETTING A BUZZ . . . INTERNATIONAL STYLE

In an ongoing quest to calm ourselves when we're anxious and energize
ourselves when we're droopy, the human race has experimented with natural
stimulants and sedatives for centuries.

In the United States we legally ingest a rather unimaginative group of
substances that includes coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol and the occasional
glass of warm milk. But folks in the rest of the world explore a much wider
spectrum in order to produce a buzz.

You would not have been able to find a lot of them 20 years ago, but since
then many have made their way to Chicago, along with the immigrants who use
them. The substances range from German valerian drops and Brazilian guarana
soda to Nigerian kola nuts and the spice-filled pan leaves of South Asia.

Although the folks at the Food and Drug Administration can't really
regulate a lot of these substances (because of a 1994 act that no longer
requires manufacturers to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary
supplements) they do stress that consumers should check with their doctors
before partaking of most of this stuff.

Having checked first with our physicians (as well as the FDA and the Drug
Enforcement Administration), we recently spent some time pursuing these
often-exotic concoctions in Chicago's many ethnic neighborhoods. Let the
word go forth: Nothing we bought produces effects stronger than, say, a
double espresso or a mug of beer; but they do offer, shall we say, heady
insights into how the rest of the world chills out.

- - First stop, Merz Apothecary, 4716 N. Lincoln Ave. (773-989-0900): Upon
entering this handsome, old-fashioned Lincoln Square shop, you, or more
properly your nose, is greeted by the distinctive smell of valerian.
Popular in several different forms, the plant substance may not do much for
the nose but it has long been used to calm the nerves, according to Merz
pharmacist and owner Abdul Qaiyum.

"Valerian was used (in Germany) for many years before it became popular
here as a tea," he explained. "Older folks would use it as drops and
younger people would use it in capsule form or tablet form. The third most
popular form is the tea. The idea of tranquilizers is not what the
Europeans ever wanted and so it is more of a mild calming agent, as opposed
to a tranquilizer."

Dutch-born Chicagoan Olga DeJongh recalls taking valerian in Holland in her
youth. "I remember my mother would give us valerian drops to make us less
anxious before an exam," she said.

A box of valerian tea at Merz runs about $10, while a small bottle of
valerian tincture drops is $5.95.

- - Our next destination was Uptown, where we popped into the Old World
Market, 5129 N. Broadway, to find kola nuts. Nigerian advisers explain that
kola nut noshers should bite off a piece and chew it like a fruit. Most
adults in West Africa eat the nuts and, as with coffee, some find that it
gives them an energy boost while others claim it calms their nerves. This
is unsurprising as its active ingredient is caffeine. Old World sells kola
nuts at the checkout counter, where one would normally expect to find
candy, for 49 cents apiece.

- - Heading further north, we visited the Indian and Pakistani district of
Devon Avenue in West Rogers Park. There, amid the produce markets,
restaurants, sari palaces and video stores, we found the House of Chat,
2642 W. Devon Ave. This 10-year-old establishment may use chat (a
chickpea-based snack) in its name, but it is much better known for two
things: its famous lentil and beef sandwiches (called bun kababs) and pan,
the pick-me-up breath-freshener of South Asia.

Made with a fresh betel nut leaf stuffed with fennel seeds, cardamom seeds,
coriander seeds, shredded coconut, ground rose petals, chopped betel nuts,
tobacco and sugar, a pan often resembles a small green taco by the time it
is fully stuffed. House of Chat panmaker Ahmed Mitani says that although
some people use them as a stimulant, these perfumy packets of chaw are
chiefly about flavor.

"Most people use it for mouth-freshening but some use it to stay awake. It
just depends on the amount of tobacco or betel nut they use," he noted.

Those who want to try pan should start by ordering a simple sweet
preparation, then stick the packet between cheek and gum and have a cup
ready for the inevitable red spit that it produces. Warning: Like chewing
tobacco juice, pan juice should not be swallowed. One pan at the House of
Chat costs $1.

- - Moving south and west, we made our way to Albany Park's Arirang
Supermarket, 4017 W. Lawrence Ave., to learn how Koreans get a buzz. There
we found, as in most Korean shops, a vast array of health drinks, vitamin
drinks and, of course, ginseng tonics. We picked up a 10-pack of Korean Red
Ginseng Drink which contains sugar, water and Korean red ginseng extract.

Although there are no health claims printed on the product, Korean ginseng
has been shown in studies, including some at the University of Illinois at
Chicago, to be, as one of the studies said, "effective as a preventative or
restorative agent for enhancement of mental and physical capabilities in
cases of weakness, exhaustion, loss of concentration (primarily under
stress) and during convalescence."

According to Lisa Park, daughter of Arirang owner Yun Hee Park, customers
buy the drinks in the belief that it contributes to long-term energy and
health; but she adds that she can't vouch for it either way. A 10-pack of
Korean Red Ginseng Drink costs $12.99.

If you prefer your ginseng in fresher form, head for Ssyal Ginseng at 3604
W. Lawrence Ave. There, you can sip ginseng shakes made of fresh ginseng,
milk and honey for ($2) or purchase a large beaker filled with vodka and
ginseng roots ($70-$200) that, according to owner Ok Soon Kim, customers
buy for sick friends.

- - Driving further west, we arrived at a shop that from the outside looks
like a typical liquor store but inside turns out to be a treasure trove of
Argentine culture. The shop, the Buenos Aires Deli, 3100 N. Cicero Ave,
sells more than a dozen forms of the famous Argentine herbal drink yerba
mate--and, as demonstrated by owner Ramon Mario Gimenez, almost as many
kinds of receptacles and straws with which to drink it. This herby beverage
(it comes as a tea and even in soft drink form) has been touted as an
invigorator of the mind and body as well as a promoter of health par
excellence. It also contains healthy levels of vitamins C, E, B1, B2 and
B-complex as well as magnesium, phosphorus, iron and potassium, but Gimenez
says that in his country it is less a health drink than a part of everyday
life.

"We drink it like the English drink tea," he says.

Although Gimenez sells yerba mate tea in bags, he says the more traditional
drink should be made with warmed -- not boiled -- water. After viewing his
wide array of mate cups (including a big, no-spill model for truckers) made
of wood, bamboo and gourds, we purchased a gourd-and-metal one along with a
stainless steel straw (called a bombilla) that features a strainer at one
end to filter out tea leaves and, yes, twigs. The cup costs $7.99; the
straw is $5.99; a 500 gram bag of yerba mate tea costs $2.19; and a
ready-to-drink can of Materva (which Gimenez says he's never seen in
Argentina) is 59 cents.

- - After a hunt, we found guarana soda, a supercharged South American
beverage made from the guarana seed, at the primarily Argentine specialty
market El Mercado, 3767 N. Southport Ave. The drink, which can be bought in
large plastic bottles as well as in cans and glass bottles, comes in two
different forms: Guarana Brazilia and Guarana Maracana.

Although guarana is often referred to as a caffeinated drink, it actually
contains guaranine, a different substance that has the same chemical
composition as caffeine.

In addition to its properties as a stimulant, guarana is often used in
Europe and the Americas to treat headaches and promote overall health. A
12-ounce can of Maracana costs 89 cents, while the 12-ounce bottle of
Brazilia is 99 cents.

The foregoing are the buzzes we did find on our tour. But there were at
least three that escaped us. First was the popular chewing leaf called qat,
used for an energy buzz by all ages in Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen. And
although we found plenty of kava capsules at drug stores, we couldn't find
a place that served the traditional Fijian kava drink in Chicago. And
finally, our search for a place to enjoy the popular Peruvian beverage coca
tea (yes, made from the same leaves that, in much larger volumes, are used
to make cocaine) was never successful. Probably, our difficulty stemmed
from the fact that at least two of these substances are considered illegal
by the DEA.

But as with many other formerly exotic substances, it may just be a matter
of time before they are accepted into the ever-widening cornucopia of
potions that contribute to the American buzz.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski