Kava, also known as Kava Kava, is found primarily in the South Pacific. Historically, this plant has been used by many Polynesian cultures. The tea of the Kava plant is known to provide a calming effect while maintaining mental clarity. Originally a drink that was consumed only by the royalty on the islands, Kava was first introduced to the western world by Captain Cook during his exploration of the South Pacific in the eighteenth century.

The Kava plant is associated with the pepper family. It has been found that the active properties causing the calming effects of Kava tea come from kavalactones which can be found in the roots of the plants. These properties remain in Kava tea once the roots of the plant are dried, ground into a powder, and consumed in the form of a beverage.

This drink has a bitter or sour taste, which is actually what the word ‘Kava’ means in several Polynesian islands’ languages. In fact, in these locales the word ‘Kava’ may be used to describe the taste in general, not just that of the plant.

Kava has traditionally been used used to fight fatigue or rid a person of depression while keeping the mind alert. Kava can be found today at health food stores as a tea to be brewed for a variety of illnesses, such as asthma, urinary tract infections, weight loss, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. While today this drink is used widely for medicinal purposes, originally its consumption was frequently tied to ceremonies. Kava had a social, political, and spiritual significance to islanders and was used ceremonially in Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, and Hawaiian cultures as well as many other smaller Polynesia cultures.

When served to royalties and during ceremonies, those participating drank in the order of their political importance. The drink was also served to welcome guests, celebrate a coming of age, or during the ceremonies related to naming a child or communicating with the supernatural. In these uses, this drink has been compared to the use of peyote or the smoking of the “peace pipe” by Native Americans, the chewing of coca leaves by Native Columbians and Peruvians, or the smoking of Opium in China and other parts of Asia.

In addition, this tea was consumed in much the way that alcoholic drinks are consumed in many modern cultures. In fact, colonists and missionaries visiting Polynesia in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries treated Kava much the same way they treated alcohol. Its consumption was strongly discouraged, although the Polynesians continued to drink both Kava and alcoholic beverages.

Although the use of Kava was once strongly discouraged, Islanders have begun returning to their roots, and Kava tea is again becoming an important part of life on many Polynesian islands. The drink is also growing in popularity on the mainland. Many island nations have turned this traditional brew into a modern industry. Each type of Kava is distinct due to the weather, geography and soil type found on a particular island.

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Category: Culture
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