Coffee Jitters and Traditional Kava Ceremonies
Aloha! So, this morning I woke up and had one too many cups of coffee. Oh, how I love my morning coffee! Usually I only have one cup, but occasionally I will have more than one. I admit that this morning I savored a total of three cups of coffee and within half an hour I felt jittery and on edge. It’s been awhile since I got the coffee jitters…maybe I need to switch to decaffeinated coffee in my old age! This reaction in me doesn’t always occur when I pour myself a second or third cup. Often times when I do, I feel fine – invigorated even. Yet today I felt very...
Read MoreCoronation of the New King of Tonga
Aloha! I don’t know if you heard, but the Isle of Tonga crowned a new King late last week. And just how did they celebrate the new King’s coronation but with a kava ceremony! I watched the ceremony on television, which was a big deal down here in the South Pacific. They presented the new King with gifts as he arrived at the kava circle and when the ceremony began, they mixed the kava and followed that with chanting and more gifts, then they passed around the bowls of kava to all the dignitaries present. The entire ceremony took about two hours, and is regarded by many to be the...
Read MoreTraditional Kava Ceremonies and Casual Kava Drinkers
Aloha! After tackling such a difficult topic in my last entry on the toxic part of the kava plant, it was refreshing to read about the opening ceremony of the Festival of Pacific Arts in Samoa last week. These ceremonial rituals include traditional kava ceremonies. In Pacific Magazine, they described how “both men and women, young and old, played their respective roles in the official welcome ceremony for delegates to the Tenth Festival of Pacific Arts in American Samoa. While the men were busy preparing for the ava ceremony (kava ceremony), the women were getting ready to display...
Read MoreKava and Liver Toxicity
Aloha! I received a very heartfelt message from a customer last week reminding me of how important it is for us to be clear about the type of kava we grow and sell, and exactly how it is processed, here at Kona Kava Farm. This is so important because certain parts of the kava (Piper methysticum) plant should never be used, namely the tops (flowers), and branches. Only the rhizome, or rootstock, should be used. This customer’s note was a very much-needed wake-up call for me, since it made me realize we did not have a lot of information on our website about the dangers associated with...
Read MoreTahitian Arts Festival
Aloha! So again – AGAIN! (teehee!) – I find an article on kava use by important people like dignitaries and diplomats! I am always truly tickled when I read about the importance and reach of kava throughout the world. It warms my soul as much as a nice cup of our kava does at the end of my work day. Let me fill you in on what I found. The Culture Minister of the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, Joseph Kaiha, gave a keynote speech at the opening of the 126th Heiva i Tahiti. ‘Heiva i Tahiti’ – held every July – is the most flamboyant in terms of...
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