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Fiji - Drink Kava, be groggy
Drink kava , be groggy
Dry pieces of kava root under the sun.
Yes, beer is one of the biggest pleasures during travel. In Fiji, just a moment, there is "kava" here.
"Kava" in English, "Yaqona (yann-goh-nah)" in Fijian, "Nagona (nah-goh-nah)" in Hindi, but "Grog" is popular name in Fiji. This is a National Drink in Fiji.
Iron-made, heavy kava pounder.
The scientific name is "Piper Methysticum". Kava is the drink made from the pulverized root of the tree that grows all over the Fiji islands and throughout Polynesia.
How to make Kava : Dry pieces of the root in the sun, pound it well to make a powder, mix with water, strain it through cloth. It looks like muddy water.
Pounding kava is a hard job.
Most of the guidebooks mention only the formal yaqona ceremony by Fijian people. Yes, that ceremony is a good example of kava's use, but it's not the only time that kava is consumed.
Kava is also enjoyed like tea, or, in a social environment, like beer. Further, Fijians and Indians alike love to drink kava. There is no kava in India. The drinking of kava was learned by Fiji-Indians only after their immigration to Fiji.
Tie up powder in a cloth, percolate it in water.
It is said that hand-pounding kava yeilds a better quality drink than machine-pounding.
However, pounding kava is a hard job, so machine-pounded product is sold in small packets at shops for 50 cents to a dollar.
Drink it like this.
Tourists can taste kava as an attraction at the resort hotels...just a cup or two. This is just an exhibition. If you have a chance, it's a good idea that you join a kava party which is held at balconies of villagers' houses every afternoon. This is kava drinking for ordinary people. The party sometimes goes on through the night.
It's just like muddy water.
Fijian ceremony uses a wooden bowl which is specially made for kava and is called a "tanoa".
The drinking cup, which is half a coconut shell, is called a "bilo". Indian people use a normal washbowl (washbasin) and a tin cup which are sold at any supermarket.
Big kava bowl at wedding time.
Consuming some quantity of kava causes a numbing effect on the mouth and limbs and, after more drinking, a soporific effect. In spite of kava's non-alcoholic quality, you will find that your legs won't move very well. Enjoy!
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