How to Traditionally Prepare Kava Kava Tea

Kava kava is prepared at dusk every day in cultures that live by this natural super root. Immediately after brewing the tea, it is consumed. Leftover tea is thrown out and a new batch is made the following day. During special occasions, the brew can be started earlier in the day, but these times are few and far between. When brewing up some kava kava tea, there is a right way and a wrong way to steep the root.

The traditional means of preparation includes harvesting the root, washing it and chopping it into bite sized pieces. These pieces where masticated by young virgin boys and girls. Mastication involved chewing the pieces just long enough to turn the root soft and pulpy. Virgins were used due to their sexual cleanliness which was thought to improve the final result.

The complex makeup of the kava kava root interacts with human saliva. The “spit” breaks down the starches in the root making for a stronger brew and a more effective mood altering result. Since then, native tribes who still masticate the root no longer require virgins for the process.

In many areas, chewing the root before brewing has been replaced with grinding, pounding and grating. Mashing the root with a large mortar and pestle is also a proper way to prepare the root for tea. Larger versions similar to those used to churn butter can also be used. In Fiji and the South Pacific, coral and stones are used to grate and pound the root. In communities where large amounts are consumed, major machinery is used to turn the meat into pulp for consumption.

With this much attention paid to the pulp, the root must then be ready to eat, right? No, it is not. The pulp stage is just a stage in the preparation process. The pulp is placed in a large bowl or tub and covered with fresh, clean water. The water must be cold as the root does not require cooking or tampering in any way. The amount of water added to the root will determine the strength of the brew as will the type of root used in preparation. Less water results in a stronger result and vice versa.

The water is then mixed with the pulp until it resembles an off white, yellow color. The process can take a while but cannot be rushed or the juice will be weak. The pulp is strained and pressed so every bit of goodness flows into the water and the concoction is ready. The remains will be fine so cheese cloth could be used for this step. Traditional cultures often used fibrous palm leaves to strain out the remnants.

Preparing the drink is undertaken by many different people in a tribe. It can take hours to produce one tub of the root juice, so younger men tend to be the most appropriate nominees. When the time comes to drink the juice, people from all around gather and stop everything for tea time. Most often served in coconut shells, the next day many people will describe their night by how many coconuts they consumed. More coconuts mean a night full of fun and plenty of talking.