Kava – It’s Not Just For Drinking Anymore!
Aloha! I recently went to a friend’s dinner party that had an all-kava theme. As you can imagine, it was an amazing evening filled with relaxed conversation, good company, laughter; and kava, of course! For most people, using kava for anything other than drinking is unimaginable. My friend who hosted the party is a chef who recently traveled the Pacific Islands, trying out local specialties made with kava and then came home to Hawaii and recreated some of the kava-based dishes she had sampled in her travels. They were an amazing treat!...
read moreLife in Balance
Aloha! It was interesting to read a recent news report in the Fiji Daily Post on a research study proclaiming Fijian women consume more kava than men. This research also made the claim that kava brings overall “laziness to the community.” The article mentioned the research being conducted in two “major yaqona consuming villages,” although it did not name them. Yoqona is what the national kava brew is called in Fiji. The article was critical of this research and posed the questions: “[How] does one define a...
read moreAnti-Kava Propaganda
Aloha my online friends! It makes me angry when any group, whether they be religious or political, attempts to infringe on other people’s freedom. As you all well know, I am an advocate of kava use as a way to soothe one’s soul and attune one’s focus. I recently discovered that the New Methodist Church in Fiji began to preach against the “evils” of kava consumption. I consider myself to be a very spiritual person. However, I do not follow any particular organized religion, although I am very supportive of...
read moreKava Creates Community
Aloha everyone! Over the weekend, the ‘Awa Development Council of Hawaii hosted the Hawai’i Pacific Islands Kava Festival with the theme of “I Maluhia ka Honua,” when translated to English means “So the world may be at peace.” ‘Amen to that. The festival celebrated ‘Awa – or kava – as the sacred plant of Hawaii and Polynesia, and it demonstrated just how kava has played an important, central role in the resurgence of Hawaiian cultural practices. In addition to kava being available to...
read moreHope for Kava Trade in Canada
The kava industry is looking towards brighter days as the European Union’s decision to lift a ban on kava products could see Canada follow suit. Kava in Canada has been banned for some time, but this may change soon! While speaking to the Department of Information, the Minister for Primary Industries Joketani Cokanasiga welcomed this development, saying that it could bring brighter days for the local industry. The Canadian ban continues to negatively affect Fiji’s trade with the lucrative North American market, and government is...
read moreKava Ceremony Etiquette
Aloha! Happy new year, my cyber-friends! 2008 was a very difficult year for many people across the globe. 2009 is so full of hope and new beginnings. I wish all of you nothing but the very best in this newest of new years! I’m consistently inundated with requests on how to conduct oneself in a kava ceremony while on the islands – or anywhere, for that matter. So, I thought I’d take a moment to address your concerns. The kava ceremony plays a crucial role in bond-making and diplomacy. All important events on the islands of...
read moreCanada Urged to Review Kava Ban
– From the Fiji Times Online – Calls have been made for the Canadian Government to review its kava ban. This after the European Union lifted a six-year ban on Fiji made kava as a result of negotiations and roundtable talks. Fiji Embassy former Business Development Manager and representative to Canada, Ashwant Dwivedi, made the plea to the Canadian government also requesting the Canadians to adopt a free trade policy on kava similar to that of neighbour United States and that recently adopted by the EU. “Following a health...
read moreKava In The Blood
Aloha! I recently stumbled across a book I felt compelled to buy based solely on its title: Kava in the Blood – I mean, how could I pass that up? It’s the autobiography of Peter Thomson, a former kaiviti (which loosely translates to “native citizen of Fiji” in the Fijian language), who was an employee of Fiji’s ruling class under the monarchy of Queen Elizabeth II; from 1967 to 1987 she was also known as the Queen of Fiji. “Kava In The Blood” covers the era from Thomson’s birth in Suva until his...
read moreKava One, Fiji’s Rugby Team Zero!!!
Aloha! I had to giggle as I read about Fiji’s loss to Australia’s rugby team in the World Cup semi-finals with a score of 52 to 0. Yes, you read that right: ZERO!!! HA! I laugh not to be mean, but rather because I was recently appalled and, I have to admit, a little angered by what I read regarding Fiji’s coach Joe Dakuitoga’s banning the Fijian rugby team from drinking kava while they were on their quest for the World Cup. You must remember, the Fijian players are all unpaid, world-class athletes who play the sport...
read moreEurope Lifts Kava Ban; EU to Renew Trade
Representatives of the International Kava Executive Council (IKEC) of Fiji are developing a two-year plan to reinstate the kava trade with the European Union after the ban on kava throughout Europe was recently lifted. The ban has been in effect since 2002. Fiji Kava Council chairman, Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo was quoted in the Fiji Times as saying that the removal of restrictions on kava trade in European countries was a result of a 10-day roundtable consultation between Pacific Island ambassadors, European Commission leaders based in...
read moreFriend or Follow us for exclusive discounts
Makaira's Kava Articles!
A Huge, Well Researched Kava Knowledge Resource!!
New to Kava Kava?
Try our starter pack
$22.99 Only!
1/4 lb. bag Mahakea Powdered Kava Root + Reusable Muslin Extraction Bag + 1 oz bag of Instant Cocoa Kava Drink (6) + 30% Kavalovetone Capsules + 10% Coupon on your next order.
