How to Prepare Kava
The amounts suggested here are meant for one user per one session and only apply to high-quality, potent, pure and noble kava products (such as the kava powders available here). Low quality kavas are unlikely to be enjoyable at these or any other doses. At the same time, note that each person requires a different amount of kava to feel and enjoy its effects. Remember to consume kava slowly and in moderation.
For a more in-depth read, check out our post on kava ratios and consumption pace, and our post on kava dosage.
Traditional Grind Kava
Ingredients:
1. Approximately 35-40g (a little less than half a cup) of traditional grind kava powder. Visit our shop to explore the different types of high quality traditional kava powders.
2. Strainer bag. Some people use classic "Fijian-type" strainer bags, cheesecloth, socks, t-shirts or nylon stockings. However, these options often let too much sediment through and/or are not necessarily food safe . This is why you might prefer to use a finer, food grade strainer, such as a nut milk straining bag , which can produce a much smoother, easier to drink beverage. We personally use and highly recommend getting one of the excellent, food grade kava straining bags that we sell through our Kava Shop.
3. Two cups (around 500-600ml) of cold (room temperature) or lukewarm water. (In general, we like to use 15ml of water per 1g of kava, but feel free to use any ratio you find effective and convenient).
4. One extra cup of water if you wish to make the so-called "second wash".
Traditional Preparation Method (Recommended):
Step 1
Place apx 35g (1/3 cup) of our Traditional Grind Kava into one of our custom designed strainer bags and place into a bowl, add 600ml or 2 cups of room temperature water.
Step 2
Tightly close the strainer bag and knead the kava well under water for 5 mins.
Step 3
Squeeze all the excess water out of the strainer bag.
Step 4
Serve in half sized cups (referred to as shells in Vanuatu). Kava should be swallowed down in 1-2 quick gulps. Have a piece of fruit ready to cleanse the palate.
Quick/Blender Method (Not Recommended):
This is perhaps the quickest way of making traditional grind kava. Not as pleasant or even effective (see our latest research) as the traditional method described above, but acceptable if you cannot or prefer not to knead the kava manually.
Place the desired amount of kava into your blender.
Add cold water at 1:15 ratio (1 gram of kava powder to 15ml of water).
Blend on high for 2-3 minutes.
Once you finish blending it, pour the mixture into your strainer bag and strain + gently squeeze the kava into a clean bowl.
Note that the blender method is relatively quick and easy, but also has one potential disadvantage: agitating the powder with sharp blades for too long can result in fibres getting chopped up very fine and passing easily through the strainer. These fibres are not harmful, but they aren’t digestible and hence may produce some GI discomfort.
“Second Wash”
If you want to, you can pour the ready beverage into a separate bowl and add some fresh warm water (half of the original amount) to your original bowl to prepare a "second wash" using the same bag with kava. It will be much weaker than the first one, but it can still offer some nice effects (you can add it to your original mix or drink it separately).
Tips for drinking kava made with traditional grind powder:
Kava servings should be chugged quickly in order to prevent the sediments from settling down and also because it's not very pleasant to sip it slowly. Drink one shell of kava (half a cup or 100-150ml) at a time. It is a very good good idea to use a chaser (e.g. a fresh fruit or some coconut milk) to wash away the earthy kava taste. Take at least 15-20-minute long breaks between servings as it may take a while for the kavalactones to start acting and for you feel the effects. Remember that kava works best on an empty stomach (try not to eat anything for at least 3 or 4 hours before drinking kava).
Freshly prepared traditional kava (our famous Pacific Elixir blend). Auckland University (2017).
It’s helpful to prepare your kava in a bucket/bowl you can easily pour it from!
Traditional kava getting prepared in a village on the island of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.
Instant Kava
Ingredients:
Apx 15g (apx 3 teaspoons) of instant kava. You can find some excellent, real instant kava in our small shop.
Two cups of cold water or any other soft drink/fruit juice mix you like.
Preparing Instant Kava
Step 1
Add approximately 8g (1-2 tsps) in a glass.
Step 2
Pour in 1 cup of water (or juice, though we recommend using water)
Step 3
Stir and enjoy.
Malok.
Tips for drinking instant kava:
Instant kava can be skulled (just like traditional grind) or sipped slowly when mixed with some juice. If you drink it slowly, remember to stir it occassionally. If you mix it with nothing but water, drink half a cup of kava (or one coconut shell) at a time and use a chaser (e.g. a fresh fruit) to wash away the earthy kava taste. Take at least 10-15 minute long breaks between shells as it may take up to 15-20 minutes to feel the effects. Remember that kava works best on an empty stomach (try not to eat anything for at least 3 or 4 hours before drinking kava). Also note that some people experience the so-called "reverse tolerance" and they need to try kava a couple of times before they can enjoy its effects.