Kava Liquid - The Pacific Way

Notice two things here; I said ‘water’ – meaning warm water can also be used if you are in colder climes - and secondly, powdered dried stems – known locally as ‘lewena’ - are also used although it has a milder effect than the roots.

Kava Stems?

Here below are 'lewena' or dried kava stems destined for local buyers.

Mind you drinking kava liquid then for me wasn’t a nightly affair. No sir! You know how kids are, eh? We weren’t allowed to drink the stuff then, except for the occasional bowl thrust into our hands by some knowing elder during their kava sessions saying how it would foster maturity as a tribal leader and improve skin complexion.

So it was all done extra secretly, among peers in the deep of weekend nights with nothing better to do - with mixing cloths from some fine cloth material like pantyhose hijacked from someone’s clothes line.

We couldn’t get away with the mixing cloths from home as these were used almost daily by the bigger folks, so a pantyhose or some t-shirt it was!

Then, as I developed a taste for kava around two years later, I would hang with a kava crowd at a rundown garage in ‘Samabula’ – a suburb of Suva – fondly referred to as the ‘white house’ where older folks would welcome this ‘college kid’ - by then a sophomore at university - who had a penchant for their kava.

Here with these ‘kavasseurs’ however, ‘waka’ kava or the stronger variety was the norm. These were kava veterans mind you and one in particular who was unemployed and served as the keeper of the ‘white house’ had the scaly skin to prove that frequent kava intake without sufficient sweat-out-time leads to these scales developing. The rest of the gang that were employed, toiled at more physical works like dock workers, construction workers, odd-job laborers and so forth and didn’t have the ‘medallions’ of the keeper.



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Seen here below is my kava buddy Shalen with a sample of The Kadavu kava kava root buyers on this site will get. He stands at 5 feet 10 inches, and there're still a few more feet of root above him.

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This is another lesson I need to impress upon you as you partake of our national drink the kava liquid way. Even if you’re not a frequent kava drinker, you should exercise daily as this is a healthy-body requirement. But if you take kava frequently then this is mandatory; period. Of course you must drink lots of water also, to flush the system.

It was here at the ‘white house’ among these folks from the Fijian, Indian, Chinese, Rotuman, and European communities that I raised my tolerance for kava. You see the camaraderie was so strong – with the various yarns and melodic singing - that while initially I usually retired early to catch the last public transport home, with each new kava experience I graduated to a point where I opted to miss the last bus and continue drinking kava until the wee hours of the morning then to trudge in a doped stupor the two miles home.

Walking with both eyes closed in the cool and calmness of the early morning dew, occasionally peeking out of one eye to maintain my bearing I’d finally reach home to enjoy a blissful kava sleep.

Water soluble kava liquid as opposed to other forms of liquid and supplements

Given this definition why would you want to try something else other than natural kava root powder to be drunk the water soluble way as we have done since time immemorial?

Don’t opt for convenience as the entire ritual of preparing kava does add to the problem solving and benefits one seeks. Through the ritual you acquire skills in patience and social bonding – the absence of which causes anxiety and depression.

Preparing water soluble kava liquid the Fiji way

1. Rinse the mixing cloth properly. Squeeze excess moisture away before scooping in 3-4 table-spoons of kava powder into the cloth. This uses about 2liters water, enough for a single individual per session.

2. With your weaker hand holding the mouth of the cloth securely in the middle of the basin, rub the kava in the cloth with your stronger hand over the other hand while water is poured over it. Rubbing or kneading the kava during this stage releases the kavalactones into the water.

3. This is the mixing of Fiji-premium-kava-root-powder and if done well maximizes kava extraction. Take care not to add too much water as a too dilute mix can be upsetting to the stomach.

4. Once the kava grains in the cloth have expanded noticeably – in the cloth in your hand - do not add any more water, as this indicates end of this process.

5. Squeeze the cloth dry, taking care not to allow any dregs to escape into the kava mixture.

6. Putting the cloth aside, agitate the kava liquid mixture with a kava bowl by swishing the mix around the basin, before scooping up a bowl and pouring it back into the basin. Observe the color and texture to determine the right mix concentration. Add water if the mix is too strong or another scoop of kava to the bag if too weak, and repeat mixing.

7. When you're happy with the resultant concentration, get yourself ready before announcing 'the grog is ready' to summon the attention of those gathered, before clapping with a cusped hand - thrice - for the trinity.

8. Swish the mixture again before filling a bowl for each attendee in order of seniority or age.

9. Before receiving your bowl of kava, do clap once to show your gratitude, then with the first bowl in your hand wish those present with good tidings and a thought for those dearly-departed, and then empty the bowl in one drink.

10. After each drinks, all should clap to show gratitude for the drinkers' presence.

11. Last to drink will be the one minding the basin and serving the rest. This is where future leaders get their initiation - something to do with learning servitude to all.

12. Store the remaining pounded kava in an airtight container for best results.

What's Happened Since?

While childhood friends from the tenement halls at 'Raiwai' graduated on to HM Prisons, and some have even passed on, I went on to graduate with a double majors, worked with multinational oil companies, and the other things you've read about.

Yes it was very easy for me to have followed the same path as my friends, but I believe the kava liquid path I took mellowed me down considerably.

Family life followed with four beautiful girls and a son, and now my wife and I are proud grandparents to two beautiful kids in NZ and Fiji.

I invite you to drink our kava liquid and impart the same sense of leadership our communities need.

Here below is something my 15-year old son came up with to show you visitors of how kava is traditionally prepared, with a local blend of bebop music; fond with kids nowadays.

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