Gutka is a type of betel quid and chewing tobacco preparation made of crushed areca nut (also called betel nut), tobacco, catechu, paraffin wax, slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and sweet or savory flavourings, in India, Pakistan, other Asian countries, and North America.

Using gutka is highly addictive and can cause various harmful effects such as head and neck cancer, oral and oropharyngeal cancers, coronary heart disease, as well as negative reproductive effects including stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight.

Gutka is manufactured in the sub-continent and exported to a few other countries, often marketed under the guise of a "safer" product than cigarettes and tobacco. Reported to have both stimulant and relaxation effects, it is sold throughout South Asia and some Pacific regions in small, individual-sized foil packets/sachets and tins that cost between 2 and 10 rupees each. It is widely consumed in Northern India, Pakistan and the Madhesh region of Nepal. Gutka is consumed by placing a pinch of it between the gum and cheek and gently sucking and chewing, similar to chewing tobacco. Due to containing cancer-causing substances, it is subjected in India to the same restrictions and warnings as cigarettes. Highly addictive and a known carcinogen, gutkha is the subject of much controversy in India. Many states have sought to curb its immense popularity by taxing sales of gutkha heavily or by banning it.

Gutka is a commercially produced form of smokeless tobacco. Manufacturers add sweet or savory flavors, making it more appealing to women and young people in some locations. The combinations of gutka ingredients vary according to local preferences. Spices may include mustard, turmeric, anise seeds, cardamom, saffron and cloves.

In addition to areca nut, nicotine, slaked lime, paraffin and catechu, it can be laced with thousands of chemicals. It is a powdery, granular, light brownish to white substance. Within moments of chewing mixing with saliva, the gutkha begins to dissolve and turn deep red in colour. It may impart upon its user a "buzz" somewhat more intense than that of tobacco chewing, snuffing and smoking.^{[citation needed]}

Gutka turns saliva bright red, and when it is chewed long and often enough it will stain a user's teeth bright red too. Saliva is generally spat onto a wall or at the ground, causing a red stain that is quite resistant to the elements. Some building owners have taken to combating this by painting murals of gods on their walls, with the idea that gutkha chewers would not spit on a god.

"Quid chewing has claimed to produce a sense of well being, euphoria, warm sensations of the body, sweating, salivation, palpitation and heightened alertness, tolerance to hunger, and increased capacity and stamina to work."

Gutka is highly addictive, represents a major health risk, has no safe level use and is not a safe substitute for smoking. Globally smokeless tobacco products like gutka contribute to 650,000 deaths each year with a significant proportion of them in Southeast Asia.