Kava - I want to try this!

KAVA

Kava (Piper methysticum) is an ancient crop of the western Pacific. Other names for kava include `awa (Hawaii), 'ava (Samoa), yaqona (Fiji), and sakau (Pohnpei). Kava is related to the black pepper; both have heart-shaped leaves and flowers similar to the flower spike of the anthurium. Kava also has a peppery taste. Kava has long been a part of religious, political, and cultural life throughout the Pacific.

The effects of drinking kava, in order of sensation, are slight tongue and lip numbing; mildly talkative and euphoric behavior; calming, sense of well-being, clear thinking; and relaxed muscles. Sleep is restful and there are no after-effects the next day.

Other interesting uses of kava include dispensation to military personnel (Fiji) to aid in vigilance and anxiety reduction; to provide concentration, focus, and muscle control before sports and music performances; to reduce the anxiety associated with public speaking and other public performances; use in corporate board rooms to aid in mental clarity, sociability and improved decision making.

Some indigenous communities in Australia have banned alcohol from their land, replacing it by the safer kava.

In Hawaii, at least 30 varieties of kava were used for medicinal, religious, political, cultural and social purposes by all social classes, men and women. Kava is the original pau hana drink of working people to relax and ease achy muscles. Kava was also given to fussy babies and children to calm them and help them sleep.

In Vanuatu, kava is drunk at night in a place called nakamal, "place for peace". Men drink it from a shell or empty coconut. Women were not allowed to drink kava historically. The Tamafa is a gift to the spiritual ancestors which consists of spitting a mouthful of kava drink, then telling a few words. The cult of Kava is different on each island of the archipelago. In Malekula, it is related to the cult of death. Sex and kava are related in Ni-Vanuatu culture. It is also used in traditional medicine, for fever, asthma, and aches, but the roots used for medicine are not the same ones used for drink. Pharmacologically, kava is recognized as an analgesic (pain killer), anxiolytic, and antibiotic. Kava certainly has a social, spiritual and medical purpose. Ni-Vanuatu migrants in Nouméa, New Caledonia have also opened up Nakamal-bars there open to anyone regardless of gender. In these venues the emphasis is more on recreational purposes and socializing than on the spiritual or medicinal qualities of kava consumption.

In Tonga, kava is drunk nightly at "kalapu" (Tongan for 'club') also called "faikava" (to do with kava). It is strictly a male affair, although women who serve the kava may be present. The female is usually an unmarried, young woman called the "tou'a." In the past, this was a position reserved for women being courted by an unmarried male and much respect was shown. These days, it is imperative that the tou'a not be related to anyone in the kalapu and if someone is found to be a relative of the tou'a, he is forcibly removed from the club for that night, not the tou'a. Foreign girls, especialy volunteer workers from overseas are often invited to be a tou'a for a night but to do so they must have thick skin as these days tou'a's can be treated in quite a sexist manner. All important occasions are also marked by drinking kava, including weddings, funerals and all church related functions. When a new king takes his throne, he must participate in ancient kava ceremonies that make his rule official. Often times music will accompany kava in the form of guitar playing and singing. In some of the outer islands of Tonga, Kava is drunk almost every night but on the main island, Tongatapu, it is usually drunk on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Kava drinking may last 8 or 9 hours on a regular basis. These days rugby is usually watched by the kava drinkers and songs are sung in the ad breaks. The singing is a very important part of the kava ceremony with traditional lovesongs being the favorite. On Saturday nights, a short stop for prayer is made at midnight (as the day moves to Sunday) and then hymns replace the lovesongs. These hymns are mostly traditional English hymns in tune with new Tongan words sung.

In Fiji, kava, also called "grog" or "yaqona" is a part of the fabric of life, drunk nightly by families and also used for important political and social events. The importance of the kava in Fiji is not so much physical, but a psychological event where stories are told and jokes bantered. It is often seen as a peace pipe between quarreling groups.