The Kava Blog
The blender method vs kneading kava in a strainer: surprising findings
Root & Pestle's lab tested the blender method against hand-kneading and the results favour the traditional squeeze. Blending pulled about 86% of the kavalactones a moderate hand squeeze achieve...
Read more
Should you add fats to kava to get a stronger drink?
If you spend any time researching kava preparation online, you will encounter claims about the benefits of adding coconut oil, coconut milk, or dairy to the squeeze. Root & Pestle tested 36 sam...
Read more
Best water temperature for making kava
What is the best water temperature for making kava? The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code specifies "cold water", a fairly vague term. We have long recommended around 30 degrees Celsius (cl...
Read more
Optimal kava kneading and preparation time
How long do you really need to knead a bag of kava? Our experience has long pointed to around 5 to 7 minutes, but we had no hard data. Root & Pestle's UHPLC analysis across 30 squeeze-time tria...
Read more
Kneading kava: the science behind efficient traditional preparation
How much kavalactone content actually ends up in your shell? Root & Pestle ran eight sequential 5-minute squeezes on the same bag of kava in fresh water each time. The first squeeze pulled 51.1...
Read more
When less is more: making the most of your kava with the right ratio and pace
How you prepare and drink your kava can matter as much as which kava you choose. The same powder, prepared at a different ratio and consumed at a different pace, can produce very different experien...
Read more
Kava strainer bags: what to use and why
Why does a strainer bag matter so much when you prepare traditional grind kava, and what makes one bag better than another? A short guide to how strainer bags work, what to look for, and how to kee...
Read more
Different ways of drinking kava and the art of "listening to the kava"
There's more than one way to drink kava. We look at the social, dilute style favoured in Tonga and Fiji, the stronger and more contemplative style of Vanuatu, and the practice of "listening to the ...
Read more
What is the right amount of kava?
How much kava should you drink? Most people respond well to 10g to 15g of instant kava or around 35g of traditional grind per session. The longer answer covers where the "250mg maximum" actually ca...
Read more
How to make your evening kava session great
A practical guide to a relaxed evening kava session at home: which cultivar to pick, how to prepare it (with reference to R&P's research on water temperature, kneading time and fats), pacing th...
Read more
Organically Grown Noble Kava
100% pure noble kava from pristine volcanic soils. Our farmers cultivate specific single cultivars in regions best suited for each variety. Each plant matures for 3-5+ years using traditional organic farming methods passed down through generations.
Always Processed from Fresh
Each batch is made from kava harvested to order, never from old village-dried stock. Plants are inspected on arrival for the right cultivar, for freshness, and for contamination. Anything that doesn’t pass is rejected.
Cleaned and Dried to Fresh Perfection
Freshly harvested roots are meticulously cleaned and dried using bespoke methods developed over years of research and refinement. The process preserves potency, fresh aroma, and active compounds. Each batch is then vacuum-sealed or nitrogen-flushed to lock in freshness.
Every Batch Tested
Our kava undergoes comprehensive testing using UHPLC analysis (superior to standard HPLC), full microbiological screening, and chemotype verification in an advanced in-house laboratory. Every batch comes with complete certificates of analysis and exceeds FSANZ Standard 2.6.3 requirements.
Check out our Certificates of Analysis