All things kava (Pahoa: wedding, bars, farmer)

[KauaiHiker]

In another thread, hotzcatz wrote: "Ah, but what about okolehau? If you're gonna have a culturally correct grass hut, you need culturally correct moonshine, right?"

And I was thinking: um, no, the culturally correct intoxicating beverage in Hawaii would be kava. And isn't there arleady a kava bar in a grass shack down by the coastline in Puna?

But why isn't kava more widespread in Hawaii? It seems the green-bottle beer culture has taken over as the intoxicant of choice, to the point that I don't even know of a kava bar on Kaua'i (I think I heard of one a while ago, but they seem to come and go).

I think there are locals growing their own kava and drinking it locally, but I don't know for sure because it seems to be rare and have a bit of a culture of secrecy around it. There certainly is some imported kava in the stores, but why isn't it more popular given the Hawaiian renaissance? Is it just too unappetizing to mainstream tastes? Is it too hard to make and impossible to sell in a bottle?

[Dthraco]

There used to be a Kava drink in an energy drink sized can not too long ago. Tasted really good. Can't find them anymore though.

Beer is way more intoxicating though. I haven't ever gotten a true 'buzz' from Kava, more like a mellow relaxation. Maybe I'm not drinking enough. haha

[terracore]

There is a kava bar in Pahoa, you can get kava in Kalapana and at farmer markets, and people do grow it. (It's called 'awa, in Hawaii, so that might confuse the issue) The problem is that taking 7 years to reach harvestable age, it's not exactly the best 'cash crop' to grow in Hawaii. I also think that kava available south of the equator is a superior product, and less expensive even after being imported to Hawaii.

The best kava in the world is rumored to come from Vanuatu.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Dthraco

Beer is way more intoxicating though. I haven't ever gotten a true 'buzz' from Kava, more like a mellow relaxation. Maybe I'm not drinking enough. haha

I'd say that's accurate. Several years ago good friends hosted a traditional full-tilt Fiji style kava ceremony, complete with clapping and knocking cups on the table and calling out certain words and chugging the drink and more clapping. And it went on for quite a while as we laughed and carried on. The kava tasted like dishwater and everybody got a little tingly and relaxed and goofy, but not enough to call it a buzz, like Dthraco said.

Interesting. I slept really well that night. Never felt an overwhelming need to repeat the experience. I've heard others report similar experiences. That may have something to do why there aren't a lot of kava bars around.

[hotzcatz]

The stuff doesn't taste all that good, might be why it's not as common as some other beverages.

Awhile back, a decade or so, Kava was the new and upcoming cash crop that was going to replace whatever the reigning crop was at the time. Lots of folks planted it and were preparing to make a business of growing kava. Then someone harvested the wrong part (was it the stem instead of the roots?) and some folks either got sick or died and it made the news for quite awhile and there was a huge stink about it. That happened right when it was getting ready to become a somewhat mainstream crop so it ran into bad publicity and fell back into obscurity.

It still tastes like dirt, too. And makes your tongue numb.

What about betel nuts? Would those be culturally correct?

How about Palm Swipe or what was that moonshine made from palm sap called?

[Mikala43]

Because it's messy, tastes like dirt, and for me, it's never really done anything.

[terracore]

For best results kava should be consumed on an empty stomach. The strongest effects last about an hour and consumed slowly will not generate a "buzz" but strong kava consumed in significant quantity will make you as drunk as drinking too much whiskey and will impair your ability to drive or operate heavy machinery. It should also NEVER be mixed with alcohol. A lot of things factor into kava's potency- variety of plant, age of roots, growing and harvesting conditions, method of preparation, quantity consumed, etc. It is also said that kava has no hangover but that is simply not true. If you have too much of anything your body is going to react.

[OpenD]

And it tastes like dirt.

[eureka1]

Every wedding I went to in Hawaii featured a row of kava drinkers sitting and leaning back against the wall because they couldn't stand up. Most if not all were Tongan and I always assumed it was a Tongan drink. Nasty stuff.

[W--Y--D]

I much prefer kava over alcohol as they do in Vanuatu, Fiji, etc.. Kava was never intended to get a "buzz" from. It was bred to relax pacific islanders when they came together for a reunion ceremony. It made everyone less anxious. IMO the best kava comes from Fiji although opinions will differ.