Kava (Yaqona) — Ceremonial Beverage

Fijian (also Tongan, Samoan)

The kava root is dried, then pounded or ground to a fine powder. The powder is placed in a cloth strainer (traditionally a hibiscus-bark cloth) and water is added. The mixture is kneaded and wrung through the cloth into a tanoa (large wooden bowl). The resulting liquid is murky grey-brown, earthy-tasting, and produces a numbing sensation on the tongue within seconds. Kava is served in a bilo (coconut shell cup) and drunk in a single gulp. The ceremony — who serves, who drinks first, how the cup is presented — is as important as the beverage itself.

• Kava is in the genus Piper — the same family as NZ kawakawa (Piper excelsum) and black pepper (Piper nigrum). The Piper thread runs from Taiwan to NZ, connecting spice and ceremony across the trail. → → NZ-8