What is Vettila Pak?

I'm watching a malayalam series on hotstar called Chempaneer Poov to improve malayalam. I'm a keralite but grew up in an English speaking household.

Anyway, in an episode, after Pongal celebration it's shown all the family eating/chewing something called "Vettila Pak."

It's like blast from the past. Years back (in my 30s now), back when I was like 9 or 10, I used to live over at my grandmother's place occasionally which is a bit further off from the city area. There,on the road, I occasionally saw people chewing something with their their teeth and lips red/orange and often spitting on the road. I was told it's indecent habit by uneducated people and not to look. Not a single person in my middle class family chewed this Vettila Pak thing. So, I associated it as probably poor man's cigerette like kind of thing. Just another thing in long list of bad habits I should avoid.

Now fast forward back to present, the characters were chewing this supposed indecent thing and casually chatting. Not only the men, but the women as well. As if it's something socially accepted and customary.

I try searching on ChatGPT to try to learn and it's very vague about it, says it's a sign of hospitality or whatnot. I'm so confused.

Can someone explain this? I'm suddenly seeing the characters I followed for 300+ episodes doing something that, regardless of my programming, looks objectively indecent with teeth and lip colored and red liquid leaking from the edge of the lips as they speak.. yet it's presented as if it's completely normal. 😲

Note: I'm not making fun of the culture, I'm a keralite myself living in TVM, I'm just out of the loop. I'm experiencing culture shock despite living here for 30+ years.