Kava, a traditional drink consumed for hundreds of years by Pacific Islanders, has been gaining popularity recently in Australia and around the world as a natural alternative for stress relief and as a sleep aid. If you’re new to kava and want a brief introduction, please see our Article: Kava 101 – An Introduction to Kava.
Fijian Kava Powder vs Vanuatu Kava Powder – Which Is The Best Kava Root Powder?
Funnily enough, despite our company being called Kava Vanuatu, we’re often asked if Fijian kava powder is better than Vanuatu kava powder. People are curious to know where the best kava powder comes from and where you can buy the best kava powder in Australia. Others have more specific questions and want to know where the best ground kava powder or where the best instant kava powder comes from. Among kava enthusiasts, Vanuatu kava is largely considered to be the strongest kava available.
For newcomers to Kava, Fijian kava plants and Vanuatu kava plants are not the only types of kava plant; there are over one hundred different species of kava cultivated across many nations throughout the Pacific, including Hawaii, Tonga, and Samoa. Interestingly, around 70% of all kava plant species throughout the world are from Vanuatu, which is why many ethnobotanists believe the kava plant (as it is known today) originated in Vanuatu. In fact, there are more unique species of kava just on the Vanuatu island of Pentecost than any other individual Pacific Island country – including Fiji.
When it comes to selecting a kava root powder, there are many different types available on the market to choose from – but they are anything but equal. In fact, there can be a very big difference between the quality and strength of say a Fijian kava root powder compared with Vanuatu kava root powder – but it’s not directly related to the country of origin, rather, it is largely dependent upon the manufacturing process and variety of kava.
Finding The Best Kava To Buy In Australia
Noble kava plant varieties, more colloquially known as “drinking” kava varieties, are regularly consumed as traditional social drinks throughout the pacific. Noble kava plant varieties from Vanuatu, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries enjoy a long history of regular and safe use, and they are the only kava variety Australia permits to be imported for consumption. Naturally then, in broad terms, the best kava variety available to purchase in Australia is in the form of a Noble kava powder.
The moment any plant is harvested, it begins to degrade – the same is true for the kava plant. Exposure to UV-light from the sun combined with the oxidating properties of oxygen contained in the air, work to degrade the organoleptic qualities of kava. Kavalactones, the precious bioactive compounds contained in the kava plant, rapidly degrade with direct exposure to the elements. So, once a kava plant is harvested, the longer it is exposed to environmental elements such as the sun and air, the greater that degradation becomes. That’s why it is essential that kava is processed immediately after harvest with minimum exposure to the elements – this principle extends to any further processing and of course packaging.
Please keep in mind if you’re looking to buy premium kava, make sure you don’t buy a sun-dried kava powder! Sun-drying kava is the cheapest drying option available, unfortunately, it is also one of the worst methods for drying a kava plant. The sun-drying process takes days, whereby the kava plant repeatedly collects and evaporates moisture, while exposed to the air, as it is repeatedly heated and cooled as it turns from night to day.
Kava Vanuatu – Australia’s Best Kava Powder?
The process of creating a premium kava powder begins with the cultivation and harvesting of the kava plant. At Kava Vanuatu our Kava is 100% organic, and our sustainable farming methods follow Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) to ensure the highest quality kava plants are harvested. We use only Noble kava which is verified by both the Department of Biosecurity Vanuatu and Australian Biosecurity.
At Kava Vanuatu we pride ourselves on producing the finest kava powder available. Importantly, our processing facility is uniquely situated only a few kilometres away from our farms, where we process our Kava directly at the source immediately after harvest. Unlike other manufacturers, we do not sun dry our kava in the open environment; our processing method and facility is specifically designed to safeguard the hygienic and organoleptic quality of our kava – to prevent the degradation of kavalactones.
Our kava is processed using state-of-the-art facilities that conform to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and our facility is HACCP certified – which means we can consistently provide premium quality kava powder! When you buy kava powder from Kava Vanuatu, you can trust that you are getting a premium product that has been grown, harvested, and processed to the highest standards. Whether you prefer instant kava powder or traditional ground kava to create your perfect kava drink, you can feel confident that our premium kava powder is pure, hygenic, and of the highest quality.
As leading manufacturers of 100% pure organic noble kava root powder, our dedicated team work tirelessly to ensure our customers receive consistently superior products. So, if you would like to learn more about our kava powders, contact Kava Vanuatu today at contact@kavavanuatu.com.au
Do you want to learn more about what Kava is? Understanding the roots of kava and the history and traditions linked to Kava highlights how popularity has grown for Kava in Australia and on an international scale.
Having an in-depth understanding of the health benefits and effects of consuming kava is essential when you are wanting to try kava for the first time or expand your knowledge of its history, background and benefits.
What Is Kava?
Kava is an ancient plant that has been transformed to be consumed as a traditional drink for a variety of reasons, such as social situations, cultural purposes, medicinal benefits and political reasons. Kava is often referred to in terms of a kava beverage, kava roots or kava powder. The kava plant, Piper methysticum, is from the Pepper family Piperaceae which is used for Kava in Australia.
There is a wide range of kava cultivars that differ in their appearances, flavours, and psychoactive properties and are differentiated by the way they grow and the environment they require. At Kava Vanuatu, our products are made from 100% dried noble kava root, buy kava powder online to try a kava drink today!
The History Of Kava
Kava originated from Melanesia and consequently extended throughout the islands of the South Pacific. Kava has grown in popularity all over the world due to its meaning and benefits, although Kava was traditionally used in cultural settings and during rituals and ceremonies in communities throughout Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia as well as in Fiji and Vanuatu for over 1000 years. Kava is often viewed as a symbol of cultural and national identity within these countries and communities due to the importance and meaning, and practices behind the drink.
Buy kava Australia through the online shop at Kava Vanuatu, whether you are wanting to try an instant kava powder due to the convenience of the sachets or are wanting to try the ground powder from the kava noble root, Kava Vanuatu has both options on offer.
Benefits And Effects Of Drinking Kava
You may have heard of Kava due to the health benefits it offers, which is one of the reasons why Kava in Australia is growing in popularity. Generally, Kava’s effects depend on the type of Kava cultivar, the potency and the way the kava beverage is prepared.
The health benefits of consuming Kava can include relief from the pain related to headaches and toothaches, relief from urinary pain, relief from constipation and gastrointestinal upsets, and insomnia relief are just a few of the health benefits people may experience from consuming kava.
Many people find the effects of Kava include a sense of relaxation and tranquillity which enhances their well-being through clarifying the mind and relieving fatigue, ideal for individual circumstances where peaceful contemplation is promoted. In social and cultural situations, people believe that Kava can induce meaningful conversations with their friends and family alongside peaceful cooperation and exchanges.
Kava has been a vital aspect of tradition and culture in communities within the Pacific islands for its health and medical benefits with its potential to treat health issues such as anxiety and stress. Today, many people consume Kava in Australia as a refreshing and relaxing beverage without the aim of assisting with health concerns.
No matter whether you are wanting to see if Kava assists with your health concerns or you are wanting to consume Kava in a social setting, buy kava powder online here at Kava Vanuatu, to try it yourself!
Different Types Of Kava Products
At Kava Vanuatu, we offer two varieties of Kava to be consumed as beverages, these being instant kava and ground kava powder. Instant kava powder is provided in individually manufactured sachets, providing a quick and easy way to prepare your Kava drink. Ground kava powder requires you to manually strain the kava during the preparation process. Both instant kava powder and ground kava create high-quality Kava beverages accredited to Kava plants being processed directly after being harvested to retain freshness and strict quality control testing.
To buy kava Australia, visit our online shop to find out more about the two kava beverage options and experience a kava drink for yourself!
Are You Ready To Try Kava? – Buy Kava Australia!
Kava has a long history of consumption within the South Pacific Islands and is considered a healthy and enjoyable beverage. As more and more people, both in Australia and abroad, try kava for the first time, they are also discovering why this “elixir of the pacific” is held with such reverence.
Here at Kava Vanuatu, our history goes back to 1995 when a group of like-minded individuals from various kava growing regions and islands formulated a plan to establish an organisation that would enable our kava growers to improve their standard of living and social welfare via the sale of their kava – knowing the quality of our kava directly affects the quality of our standard of living.
All our farmers are registered, and the cultivation and collection of kava plant material follow Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP). All of the kava used in our products are export-approved Noble cultivars verified by the department of Biosecurity Vanuatu. Kava Vanuatu’s export facilities strictly conform to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), and our processing and packaging facility is HACCP certified.
As leading manufacturers of 100% pure organic noble kava root powder, our dedicated team strives to ensure our customers receive consistently superior products. So, if you would like to try our Kava beverages, buy kava powder online through the Kava Vanuatu shop. To learn more about our noble kava root powders, contact Kava Vanuatu today at contact@kavavanuatu.com.au.
You may be wondering…why is a kava strainer bag essential for making kava in Australia from traditional ground kava powder and why its quality is of great importance.
Transforming ground kava root powder into a fruitful and enjoyable beverage is fairly straightforward on the condition that you have with you ground kava along with a suitable strainer bag. At Kava Vanuatu, our kava powder is made from 100% dried noble kava root. So, buy kava powder online to try a kava drink today utilising our kava strainer bag! If you are unsure of how to prepare and drink kava, check out our article, ‘Kava 101 – An Introduction To Kava’. Utilising an appropriate kava strainer bag will prove to make a tremendous impact on your kava drinking experience.
Key Principles Of Making Traditional Kava
As you may or may not already know, the active ingredients in ground kava powder are not water soluble, meaning the powder will not fully dissolve once the kava has been submerged in water. Therefore, in order to separate the active ingredients from the root particles, you must strenuously agitate the ground roots in water. Now, this is where a strainer bag comes of great use.
Role Of A Kava Strainer Bag
When preparing kava the traditional way using ground kava powder, making use of a kava strainer bag allows you to hydrate, compress and separate the root particles to get the active ingredients in kava released and suspended in the liquid. There are many other ways in which one can filter kava, although having a suitable kava strainer bag present can outstandingly enhance the quality of the filtered beverage.
When kava was first introduced, kava was prepared from fresh roots that had quite large and soft particles that made squeezing and filtering out the natural materials easier and more effective. Now, in much more recent times, those who consume kava in Australia prepare their kava beverages from powdered dried kava roots that carry far smaller particles.
Optimal Kava Strainer Bag
An optimal kava strainer bag has the capacity to adequately filter out coarse fibres and, at the same time, be strong enough to withstand any pressure from straining. It should be sturdy enough to last many filtering sessions without tearing, stretching or deforming in shape.
Here at Kava Vanuatu, we utilise high-quality, well-made kava strainer bags that are made from food-grade nylon mesh. Importantly, our reusable design and durable stitching ensure your ground kava powder won’t seep out while brewing your kava drink. A traditional high-quality match with your Kava Vanuatu Ground Kava Powder. If you want to try out our kava strainer bags along with our very own kava, buy kava powder online here at Kava Vanuatu to try it yourself!
How To Care For Your Kava Strainer Bag
High-quality nylon mesh filter bags can last for months. Although, some basic care is required to ensure optimal performance and hygiene. The simplest way to care for your strainer bag is to hand wash it using gentle and natural soap and warm water to achieve the best results. If your strainer bag tends to get clogged up with resin and becomes sticky, and no amount of washing seems to work, try submerging your strainer bag in boiling water to dissolve any of the residual resin.
Buy Kava Powder Online – The Kava Vanuatu Difference
Kava has a long history of consumption within the South Pacific Islands and is considered a healthy and enjoyable beverage. As more and more people, both in Australia and abroad, try kava for the first time, they too are discovering for themselves why this “elixir of the pacific” is held with such reverence.
Here at Kava Vanuatu, our history goes back to 1995 when a group of like-minded individuals from various kava growing regions and islands formulated a plan to establish an organisation that would enable our kava growers to improve their standard of living and social welfare via the sale of their kava – knowing the quality of our kava directly affects the quality of our standard of living.
All our farmers are registered, and the cultivation and collection of kava plant material follow Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP). All of the kava used in our products are export-approved Noble cultivars verified by the department of Biosecurity Vanuatu. Kava Vanuatu’s export facilities strictly conform to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), and our processing and packaging facility is HACCP certified.
As leading manufacturers of 100% pure organic noble kava root powder, our dedicated team strives to ensure our customers receive consistently superior products. So, if you would like to try our Kava beverages, buy kava powder online through the Kava Vanuatu shop. To learn more about our noble kava root powders, contact Kava Vanuatu today at contact@kavavanuatu.com.au.