Mighty Roots Traditional Grind Kava

A a strong blend of 100% lateral roots selected from prized noble Vanuatu cultivars . The laterals (known as "waka" in Fiji) are the smaller diameter roots that extend from themain rootstock. They contain the highest concentration of kava's active ingredients (kavalactones) and have a sharper, more bitter flavour profile. They are also the part of the rootstock with the highest concentration of kavain, which explains the rapid onset and cerebral intensity of initial effects. At the same time, the overall high kavalactone content (and the use of more balanced/heavy cultivars, such as Melo Melo and Borogoru) balances out the inital rush and provides this blend with a more balanced finish.

In its natural form Vanuatu kava rootstock consists mostly of stump/basal root. The lateral roots constitue on average just 20-30% of the weight. Despite being stronger, they are not necessarily more popular in Vanuatu as they are much harder to peel and hence more bitter and sharper than the remaining part of the rootstock. As kava is consumed green/fresh and highly concentrated in Vanuatu (which means it’s very strong to begin with), consumers don’t mind the fact that stump might have a lower kavalactone content. By contrast, in Fiji, where kava is made from dry roots and where it is fairly heavily dilluted with water, the lateral roots (again, known as “waka”) are the most prized part of the rootstock and are significantly more expensive than the stump.

We personally generally prefer the more “natural” ratio of laterals to stump, i.e. what you can find in our Single Cultivar Kavas and our Pacific Elixir blend, but we know some drinkers are very keen to drink kava with a bit of extra “kick”, so we’ve decided to give them access to this premium blend of pure lateral roots. Our lateral roots are processed directly from freshly harvested kava. They are meticulously cleaned and carefully dried in a temperature controlled dehydrator that locks in as much potency and freshness as possible.

We don’t recommend this product to first timers or people who fairly new to kava. It is quite strong and the taste is noticeably sharper than that of our other kavas. But the more experienced enthusiasts of “waka”-type kava or those in need of this kind of kava should be very pleased with this blend.