• What is Kava?
• What are the benefits of kava?
• Types of kava powder
• How to prepare kava
• The Kava Vanuatu difference

What is kava?

So, have you just discovered kava and want to try it for the first time? Kava has been used as a traditional beverage for hundreds of years among Pacific Island communities. If you are a first-time kava user and you are after some background behind the amazing, all-natural herb, as well as how to achieve a great kava drinking experience, here is a basic overview of what you need to know.

Kava is a term used interchangeably for the kava plant, dried kava powder, kava drink or kava beverage. There are other names used to refer to kava which originate from and are native to various Pacific Island cultures such as: ava, awa, yati, yagona, sakau, seka, malok, and malogu.

The kava plant is a robust, succulent, well-branching perennial shrub that is a member of the black pepper family Piperaceae. The bioactive ingredients contained in the kava plant are known as kavalactones. Using the roots from the kava plant, a kava drink is made by combining dried kava powder with water, or as is common in Vanuatu, by combining a freshly harvested (and macerated) kava plant with water.

There are well over 100 varieties of the kava plant. These various cultivars may be classified into four different categories – Noble kava varieties, Medicinal kava varieties, Tudei kava varieties and Wichmannii varieties. Noble kava is by far the most popular category of kava and traditionally only Noble kavas have been used for regular consumption. The other kava varieties that are not classified as a Noble kava are not particularly suitable for regular kava drinking.

What are the benefits of kava?

In Vanuatu, kava has traditionally been consumed not only to provide a sense of relaxation and tranquillity but also to help assist with relief from insomnia, headache and toothache pain, urinary pain, muscle relaxation, gastro-intestinal upsets, and constipation relief.

To ensure that you obtain the healthiest and best possible experience when consuming kava, it is best to consume a kava powder that has been cultivated and harvested within an environment that is free from the use of any synthetic chemical herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, or GMOs. Additionally, it is important that the Kava is handled and processed immediately after harvest to avoid spoilage.

When consuming a kava drink that has been prepared using Kava Vanuatu’s noble kava root powders, you are rest assured that it is of the highest quality and standard. Kava Vanuatu’s noble kava root powders undergo strict quality control and continual testing to ensure we consistently provide a premium range of kava powders.

Types of kava powder

There are two main types of Kava powders which are commonly available for consumption:

1. Ground Noble Kava Root Powder which is commonly referred to as “Ground Kava” or “Traditional Kava” powder.
2. Instant Use Noble Kava Root Powder which is abbreviated to “Instant Use Kava” or more commonly “Instant Kava” powder.

The key functional difference between Instant Kava and Ground Kava powders is that, as the name might suggest, Instant Kava does not require any type of preparation, brewing or straining. Instant Kava can be simply added to water (or your favourite juice) and after a little stirring, consumed.

In comparison, Ground Kava needs more preparation, initially requiring brewing (with room temperature water) and then subsequently straining before it is consumed. Historically, various types of traditional strainers have been used, however, more recently kava drink makers have emerged to provide an easier and quicker means by which to prepare Ground Kava. 

Kava Vanuatu’s Kava powders use only Noble kava. At Kava Vanuatu, we grow and process our own kava at the source and can rightfully brag that we have complete supply chain traceability.

•       Ground Kava

As with other plants, once a kava plant is harvested, the longer it is exposed to the elements, such as the sun, the more the kava degrades losing its freshness. At Kava Vanuatu we do NOT sun dry our kava, instead our noble kava roots are specially processed immediately after harvest to retain freshness. Kava Vanuatu’s 100% organic Ground kava powder is processed to the highest quality standard, resulting in a noticeably better and less bitter tasting kava powder. Some other kava manufacturers dry their kava on the ground in full light of the sun, resulting in a much poorer quality kava – which is why they sometimes offer their kava at a discount.

•       Instant Kava

As with our Ground Noble Kava Root Powder, Kava Vanuatu’s Instant Use Noble Kava Root Powder is processed immediately after harvest to retain freshness. Our Instant kava powder is manufactured using Kava Vanuatu’s proprietary processing method, which maximises bioavailability and conveniently negates the need for any straining. Compositionally, the average particle size of our Instant Kava powder is much smaller than the Ground Kava powder, and, unlike many other Instant Kava powder products on the market, Kava Vanuatu’s Instant Use Kava is less fibrous.  

How to prepare kava

So now you have bought your kava – how do you prepare it?

Everyone has their own preferences for preparing and consuming kava. Some like to prepare Ground kava in a traditional ceremonial bowl, while others enjoy adding their Instant kava to some ice-cream! After some experimentation, you’ll find your preferred method. But here’s a few ideas to get you started…

•       How To Prepare Ground Kava

For those who have time to prepare their kava drink, the following method is tried and true:

Place an empty straining bag into a bowl and add in 10g of kava powder. Pour 250mL of water (at room temperature) into the straining bag and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Lift the bag slightly and twist the top of the bag closed to allow any excess air out. Begin to knead the straining bag in the bowl until you see the liquid change in colour from light to heavy brown. Lift the bag out of the bowl and squeeze to remove any excess liquid. Pour into a cup to serve. For those who prefer a weaker or stronger brew, the ratio of kava powder to water can be adjusted to suit your own preference.

If you are someone who is a little more pressed for time or don’t like getting your hands wet kneading, you may want to consider purchasing one of the kava drink makers which we stock. For the more frequent or serious kava consumer we recommend the following kava drink maker.

Alternatively, many household appliances can be readily used to help prepare your ground kava. For example, the same quantity of Ground kava powder and water can be placed into a blender and mixed for a couple of minutes and then passed through a household strainer of some sort.

TIP: do not use boiling water to accelerate the brewing process, the liquid will thicken making it too viscous to drink.

•       How To Prepare Instant Kava

The best thing about Instant Kava powder is its convenience! If it is properly manufactured, there’s no need for any straining and you can simply mix it with your preferred drink (or food) and enjoy.

Adding one or two of Kava Vanuatu’s Instant Kava sachets (2.5 g to 5 g of Instant Kava) with a cup of 200 mL of water (or juice), for example, is a good place to start. Again, you can adjust the ratio of Instant Kava to water up or down to make a weaker or stronger brew.

Some people thoroughly enjoy the taste of Kava, however, for newcomers it’s probably more of an acquired taste. For those who like to mask the slightly bitter taste of Kava, combining it with citrus and berry flavours works very well. It might seem unimaginable to some newcomers, however, in time many regular kava drinkers come to appreciate the taste and texture complexities of a kava drink in the same way that coffee drinkers do.

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 that 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 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