Kava

Kava is made from the ground root of Piper methysticum, a shrub of the pepper family grown across the Pacific. The root is kneaded in cold water, strained and served in a coconut shell. It tastes earthy and peppery and slightly numbs the mouth.

Origin & Story

In Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Pohnpei, kava is not a beverage you order but an occasion you attend. The drink is made from the ground or pounded root of Piper methysticum, a shrub in the pepper family, mixed with water and strained into a shared bowl, and it is served in cups made from half a coconut shell, called bilo or ipu.

It sits at the center of formal gatherings. Welcomes, exchanges and meetings are opened with kava, passed in a set order, and the ceremonies differ from island to island but share an idea: to sit together and drink from the same bowl.

Not all kava is the same. Pacific growers distinguish noble cultivars, the ones traditionally prized for drinking, from other types, and Vanuatu's Kava Act of 2002 limits exports to noble kava that has been grown for at least five years before harvest. The law shows how seriously the country takes the reputation of its main crop.

Kava is not a tea in the usual sense. The root is not steeped but kneaded in cold or room-temperature water, usually for around ten minutes in a strainer bag, until the water turns a cloudy tan, then squeezed out. The taste is earthy and peppery, a little bitter, and the mouth goes numb for a while.

Kava has also been regulated. Germany banned it in 2002 after reports of liver injury, a court lifted the ban in 2014, and rules differ between countries, so check what applies where you live.

Knead 30 g of ground kava in a muslin bag in 500 ml of cold water for ten minutes, squeeze it out, and serve in small bowls.

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