The Kava Blog

Kava and Floation Therapy: Interview with Float Culture

We recently sat down with Anton, the founder of Float Culture in Auckland, to talk about his experiences with floating and kava. Our connection with Anton began back in 2018, when he reached out to...

The Blender Method vs Kneading Kava in a Strainer (guest post by Root & Pestle): surprising findings!

We know many kava drinkers use blenders to prepare their traditional grind kava. On our kava preparation page, we list the blender method as a “quick” method that can be used to prepare traditional...

Should you add fats to kava to get a stronger drink? (research by Root & Pestle)

If you spend a bit of time researching kava preparation methods online, you will inevitably encounter claims regarding the supposed benefits of preparing your kava with added fats (e.g. coconut oil...

Best water temperature for making kava (research by Root & Pestle)

In today’s guest post we explore another interesting question: what is the best temperature for preparing kava? As you may know, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code specifies that kava sh...

Optimal kava kneading/preparation time (research by Root & Pestle)

One of the most frequently asked questions about kava preparation we get is: how long does one need to knead the bag of kava to get the best return on their efforts? Our our experience suggests tha...

Kneading kava? The science behind efficient traditional kava preparation (research by Root & Pestle)

Explore some scientific aspects of traditional kava preparation in our latest blog post. While instant kava offers convenience, traditional kava can a richer, more aromatic experience. In this gues...

When Less is More: Making the Most of Your Kava with the Right Ratio and Consumption Pace

How you prepare and drink your kava matters as much as what kava you choose to drink. In this post we suggest a few different approaches. Kava can be an incredible versatile plant that accommodates...

Silesse - the contemplative cultivar from Malekula

A guest post profiling the Malekula cultivar Silesse and one of its growers and custodians. Unlike most other kavas, Silesse is not known for being a “social” cultivar. Instead, many people find it...

How Great Kava Powders are Made: Processing Steps (and Why Each One Matters)

If you’ve tried our kava, you know it’s of insanely high quality. This is particularly obvious if you’ve ever tried any other kava, but even if you are completely new to kava, you have most likely ...

Puariki, the pride of Tongoa

Puariki is an outstanding cultivar grown exclusively on the remote island of Tongoa (Vanuatu). This blog post provides an overview of the cultivar’s history, characteristics, as well as an account ...