is it kava?

i read a novel about fiji and there were repeated references to a local intoxicant called (i think) kava. has anyone tried it? is it still legal? how much (us$) does a big bowl cost? does it contain alcohol? sounds too goood to be true.-thanks for any info-morgan

In Fiji its actually called "yaqona", pronounced something like "yanggonna". It's the same thing as "kava", the name for it in Samoa and a few other places.

It's basically the ground up root of a type of pepper tree.

It does have a chemical effect on the brain, but it doesn't contain alcohol. In it's milder versions it has a soporific effect (relaxing, sleepiness), to about the same degree as a cup of coffee has a stimulating effect.

If it's mixed with the saliva of some chewers, preferably teenagers, the effect can be a lot stronger. The kava of some countries is stronger than that of others, I've heard that of Vanuatu and the Solomons is stronger than that of Fiji/Samoa etc.

Anyway, just google it, ot look it up on wikipedia, for more info.

I don;t know what it costs, maybe ten or twenty dollars a half pound or so in the market in Suva or Nadi, for some combinations of it. But these days they are mixing it with the weaker parts of the tree, like ground up bark, etc., so it's not as storng as "just the root" kava.

I consumed Kava on many, many occasions in Samoa. Kava is not viewed as a drug or something to get "high" on. In fact, the Kava ceremony is a very serious and reverant thing in Samoa and is not something that is casually consumed just for the sake of consuming it (at least I never saw this).
It is easy to purchase, but fairly expensive in Samoa.

So don't get to excited if you're looking for a "new" kind of exciting buzz.

Imagine washing your dirty muddy socks in a bowl of water. Look in the bowl- this is what kava looks like.

It does tast kinda peppery and usually will numb your lips and other bits of your face.

I have some photos and a short writeup about kava on my BLOG.

You could probably get a whole bowl (10-15 cups) for about $US1 at a market 'kava den'. You'd need to drink about 6 cups of the foul tasting liquid before you noticed much.

Funny,
In 16 years associating with Solomon Isalnders, the only people I have ever seen using kava were of Fijian or ni-Vanuatu origin, or were in a group with Ni-Vanuatu or Fijians.
The Solomon Islanders use betel nut, and tobacco and beer ifthey can afford it, but do not initiate kava ceremonies.

Ozzie---I guess it was Vanuatu I was thinking of, but it was from a post a couple of yrs ago. .

I have an Indo-Fijian acquaintance who claims that he had a big night on some very strong kava in Vanuatu. It ended, he said, with him being carried bodily to bed, since he was completely conscious, but utterly unable to control the movement of any of his limbs.

Of course there were other occasions and other stories when it was apparent that he and the truth were not in the same room (or even in the same island group!), so I always treated the kava story with a degree of scepticism.

For any Aussies on here who want to give it a try, it is available in Sydney & Brisbane (not sure where - try fruit shops or markets in areas where lots of islanders have settled). I have had the gentle buzz with Pacifica friends sitting crossed legged on the polished floor of a Victorian terrace house in Petersham and on the stern deck of a paddlewheeler cruising up and down the Brisbane River. Unfortunately it was never strong enough to block out the pins and needles in legs and bum from sitting cross-legged on a hard floor, but they were sharing and bonding experiences that I will treasure forever.

Rob

I am sure there was someone recently convicted in NZ because he was under the influence of kava when driving.

That obviously wasn't the actually reason for conviction (more likely careless/dangerous driving and then causing an accident was the reason for conviction).

Found it:
Brief Article

Wise Oldpro called it foul, and it certainly is odd tasting, but I actually thought it was good. Brown and watery, yes, but sort of nutty like coffee, peppery, and even a faint hint of sweet like raw cinnamon, but generally mild. In fact I think the word coffee comes from kava or vice versa... or something like that. I have studied the Pacific since the 1980s and continue to hear about the potency of Vanuatu or Solomons kava. And not just from the travelogues or novels that tend to sensationalize it. Traditionally, kava was/is strained with the saliva of young women to maximize it's potency, which is probably tied to the enzymes in saliva to break down the pepper plant roots that make up kava. But with non-Fijians at the ceremony (tourists like me), the Fijians seem to always use water which I personalize appreciate for health reasons. More and more it is a matter where that water comes from, sanitation-wise. I've had 6-7 bowls in one sitting before and felt a relaxed, mild euphoria, tongue and lip numbness (like Peruvian happy powder) but never the immobility people describe in more remote Melanesia. The ceremony itself, and the convivial mood of hanging with Fijians as you do it, is as heartening as downing the actual brew. -L

Love Kava, love the effect a sort of conviviality and love sitting around drinking with the folks.

It's also referred to as grog. Vanuatu kava is the most potent (and the nicest, IMO) and I second #11's comment.

Locals sometimes suck on candies between drinks at kava session -- their own kind of chaser. So 'taste', as usual, is in the mouth of the drinker.

Kava builds up in your body and it depends on your metabolism how you experience it. I know 2 European guys who started drinking kava in fijian villages to the same time (and same amount over several weeks) - one was always buggered after several bilos (bowls), the other could keep on drinking for ages without showing any effect. And this started years ago, they came back every once in a while to Fiji. Fijians love to call the one who did not have effetcs the "kava King". I myself drank it very moderate for long time and i never knew what the fuzz about it was. Then all of a sudden the stuff hit and I was not able to get up the next day. For me it has the effect that after drinking some bowls, I go to bed because my body feels so sleepy - but my brain thinks the other way - it wants to work (terrible feeling, if all other body parts scream for sleep). Fijians tell me I don't drink enough. ( my stomach thinks otherwise). So what do do? I drink a bowl or two if necessary, otherwise I avoid it.

I love the kava ceremony but don't particually like kava. Like one of the other posters says, it looks like old, dirty water. The taste isn't that bad - it definately wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! I find that it makes me need a wee a lot the next day if I drink more than a couple of bowls (TMI?!!!) but I'd imagine if you drink a lot of it over a long period of time, your body would get used to it...