Kava Ceremony, Yasawa, Fiji
Kava (Piper methysticum) (Piper Latin for "pepper", methysticum Greek for "intoxicating") is an ancient crop of the western Pacific. Other names for kava include ʻawa (Hawaii), 'ava (Samoa), yaqona (Fiji), and sakau (Pohnpei). The word kava is used to refer both to the plant and the beverage produced from its roots. Kava is a legal intoxicant in many countries and if consumed before driving would be widely regarded as DUI. It is a tranquilizer primarily consumed to relax without disrupting mental clarity. Its active ingredients are called kavalactones.
Traditionally it is prepared by either chewing, grinding or pounding the roots of the kava plant. Chewing is followed by depositing into a bowl, mixing with water and straining through the cloth-like fiber of a coconut tree. Grinding is done by hand against a cone-shaped block of dead coral; the hand forms a mortar and the coral a pestle. The ground root/bark is combined with only a little water, as the fresh root releases moisture during grinding. Pounding is done in a large stone with a small log. The product is then added to cold water and consumed as quickly as possible.
The extract is an emulsion of kavalactone droplets in starch. The taste is slightly pungent, while the distinctive aroma depends on whether it was prepared from dry or fresh plant, and on the variety. The colour is grey to tan to opaque greenish.
Kava is served from a huge bowl scooped up by a communal half coconut shell. It looks like dirty water, smells like dirty water, has a texture like dirty water and tastes like dirty water. After the 11th bowl I didn't care.
Kava Ceremony, Yasawa, Fiji
Kava (Piper methysticum) (Piper Latin for "pepper", methysticum Greek for "intoxicating") is an ancient crop of the western Pacific. Other names for kava include ʻawa (Hawaii), 'ava (Samoa), yaqona (Fiji), and sakau (Pohnpei). The word kava is used to refer both to the plant and the beverage produced from its roots. Kava is a legal intoxicant in many countries and if consumed before driving would be widely regarded as DUI. It is a tranquilizer primarily consumed to relax without disrupting mental clarity. Its active ingredients are called kavalactones.
Traditionally it is prepared by either chewing, grinding or pounding the roots of the kava plant. Chewing is followed by depositing into a bowl, mixing with water and straining through the cloth-like fiber of a coconut tree. Grinding is done by hand against a cone-shaped block of dead coral; the hand forms a mortar and the coral a pestle. The ground root/bark is combined with only a little water, as the fresh root releases moisture during grinding. Pounding is done in a large stone with a small log. The product is then added to cold water and consumed as quickly as possible.
The extract is an emulsion of kavalactone droplets in starch. The taste is slightly pungent, while the distinctive aroma depends on whether it was prepared from dry or fresh plant, and on the variety. The colour is grey to tan to opaque greenish.
Kava is served from a huge bowl scooped up by a communal half coconut shell. It looks like dirty water, smells like dirty water, has a texture like dirty water and tastes like dirty water. After the 11th bowl I didn't care.