Traditional Kava - Kelai

Content: Kava (Piper methysticum)

Preparation: Use up to 3 heaped tablespoons in 600ml warm water per person. Scoop Kava into a cloth bag, place in bowl & cover with water. Squeeze and knead for 5-10 mins. Squeeze out bag and set aside (to re-brew later). Strain liquid into cup. Alternatively, blend Kava with water for 1-2 minutes, then strain through cheesecloth or Kava bag. Adding any type of milk or fatty product can help activate the Kava and create a smoother taste. Enjoy!

Kava (Piper methysticum)

Kava is a culturally significant plant cultivated throughout the Pacific Islands, where the peeled root and stump are traditionally macerated in cold water to produce a communal beverage used in social, ceremonial, and diplomatic settings.¹,² Its chemistry centers on kavalactones, principally kawain, dihydrokawain, methysticin, dihydromethysticin, yangonin, and desmethoxyyangonin, which define cultivar chemotypes and vary by lineage, geography, and plant part.³ In vitro studies have examined kavalactones for interactions with GABAergic signalling, calcium channels, and cytochrome P450 enzyme systems, without implying specific physiological outcomes.³,⁴

Pacific classification distinguishes “noble” cultivars from tudei and wild types, with noble kavas regarded as suitable for daily social drinking due to balanced sensory characteristics and longstanding cultural acceptance.¹,² Traditional preparation emphasizes aqueous extraction of root material, avoiding aerial parts.¹

Kelai is viewed as an elegant noble cultivar with a refined root-forward profile and lighter sensory qualities in aqueous preparation. Among Vanuatu drinkers, Kelai is appreciated for its smooth presence during prolonged communal sessions, reflecting lineage-based cultivar selection within the noble class.¹,²

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1. Lebot, V. (2016). Kava: The Pacific Elixir (2nd ed.). University of Hawaii Press. 

2. SPC (Pacific Community). (2021). Kava Quality Standard & Noble Classification Guidelines. Pacific Community Publications.

3. Jamieson, D. D., & Duffield, P. H. (1990). The kava alkaloid constituents: Chemistry, pharmacology, and selected clinical considerations. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 27(1–2), 153–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(89)90067-5  

4. Zhou, P., Gross, S., Liu, J. H., Yu, B. Y., Feng, L. L., Nolta, J., … Yao, P. (2010). Kavalactones and cytochrome P450 interactions. Planta Medica, 76(4), 331–336. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0029-1186169  

Other Names: Coral flower, Kava kava, kawa, waka, lewena, yaqona, grog (Fiji), sakau (Pohnpei), 'awa (Hawaii), 'ava (Samoa) and wati (New Guinea)

Grown in: Epi Santo, Vanuatu

Organic Status: Chemical/pesticide free

Plant Parts:  Root

Packaging:  Home compostable, reusable zip lock pouch

Vegan Friendly

• Kava is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women and children. 
• Contraindicated with L-Dopa and other Parkinson's disease drugs.
• Caution in liver disease.
• Do not operate heavy machinery.
• Avoid prolonged use.
• Caution - It is not recommended to consume Kava alongside nervous system depressant medications such as sedatives, antidepressants, MAOIs, Benzodiazepines, antipsychotics.