drinking kava

kava - also called ava, 'awa, yaqona or sakau - has always been and still is an important part of almost all pacific cultures. it is used for cultural, political, social and spiritual purposes. in some pacific countries, kava is drunk only on special occasions or at special places. in other places people drink kava just like beer. basically, it is the same: a light intoxicant with a sedative and relaxing effect.

kava is prepared from the kava tree's root. traditionally, the root is pounded or grinded, until it becomes a fine powder that is mixed with cold water. the result is a drink that looks like muddy water. and for first-timers the taste usually is quite odd: bitter and pungent. i know no other taste that is similar.

especially in fiji drinking kava is often a serious matter as it is part of protocol at official meetings or ceremonies. whenenver you enter a traditional village, you will meet the village chief and be welcomed by a kava ceremony. on special events, there will also be a kava ceremony. sometimes even when you are invited to somebody's home, there will be a kava ceremony. drinking kava often follows a strict procedure where the drinking order depends on age and rank. traditionally, a half-shell of a coconut is used as a cup.

so, as drinking kava is big deal, buying kava is of course the same. at many markets there are special sections exclusively dedicated to kava. there you can buy the roots in all sizes, ages and qualitites - we have been told that the bigger roots give a stronger effect. you can also buy kava powder that is ready to prepare the drink.

on the day we arrived in navala three weddings where celebrated - of course there was a steady flow of kava. and as a visitor it would have been very rude to ignore or even decline the local customs. so we had a very nice afternoon, chatting and listening to some locals playing music (to which you of course can listen, too) and drinking loads of kava. but i can't really tell much about the relaxing effect... well, i was on holiday, so i was already very relaxed.

unfortunately this experience didn't end pleasantly. i guess some water that was used to prepare the kava was not clean enough - so some hours later, the toilet bowl became my best buddy.