Kava is an earthy drink made from the root of the pepper plant, Piper methysticum, found in the Pacific islands. It’s popular for its relaxing, and social effects and has been used for centuries in cultural and religious ceremonies and for its many health benefits. And the best part is you can make kava at home.
To make kava, the root is harvested and ground into a fine powder. This powder is then added to water to steep before being strained out, leaving just the earthy drink behind. Traditionally, this also involved chewing the root to break it down, but we don’t do that here.
Kava comes in four common forms: Traditional grind, Kava Nectar (sometimes called “instant” kava), micronized, and extracts. Each of these names refers to how the kava is prepared. No matter how you make it, the result will be similar. It depends on how much time you have and how close to the tradition of kava you want to be.
Traditional grind kava
Traditional kava has been made for thousands of years in the Pacific Islands. It involves a multi-step process that includes using dried kava root. The plant is ground, steeped in hot water, and then strained, leaving the earthy beverage behind. This is how it’s been prepared in the Pacific Islands for centuries, and it gives preparers a closer cultural experience that often goes hand-in-hand with drinking kava.
To make traditional kava at home, this is what you’ll do:
Gather your ingredients and tools. You need:
- A fine woven bag to strain kava root (e.g. Mesculin bag is recommended)
- High-grade kava root
- Warm water
- Bowl to mix kava (medium to large is best)
- Small cups to drink from
- Kitchen scale (for measuring dose)
Next, make the kava following these instructions;
- Measure kava dose. The recommendation is about 10grams (0.4 oz) of powdered kava
- Measure out the kava, then put it into a strainer bag, tie it off, and place it in the bowl
- Add warm-mildly hot water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
- Mash! Here is where you want to massage or knead the bag. This helps get all the goodness out into the water. It should look chocolatey brown now. Do this for about 10 minutes.
- Strain! Strain the kava by squeezing all the liquid from the bag. (You can get up to 3 steeps with one bag, so don’t throw this away!)
Pour in your cup and Enjoy!
Micronized kava
This form of kava is a bit controversial, but it’s a more affordable form of instant kava. It works by grinding the kava root so fine that it’s easily mixed like instant kava powder. The process takes extra work but is not nearly as labor-intensive as making traditional kava.
The problem is that no matter how much kava root is ground down, there will always be some residue and texture from the kava itself. Kava root is very tough and difficult to digest, so this form of kava can cause some people to experience upset stomachs more than others. Even the best and most premium micronized kavas have this issue.
It’s often an attractive form of kava for new drinkers because of the price point and convenience. But its gritty texture has been known to ruin first-timer experience. We usually recommend that only experienced kava drinkers use this form of kava at home since they already know what to expect from drinking it and are used to the body and mind effects.
Kava extracts
Extracts are condensed forms of herbal medicine. They are often found in liquid form to be added to drinks, water, or directly under the tongue.
Pure kava extracts aren’t as common as drinking them. However, they do provide an easy way to get the benefits of kava without needing to make and drink the beverage. Some are even flavored to help with the earthy taste of kava.
WARNING: Kava extracts can be found at your local health food store, but be warned that many of these forms of kava are highly processed and often have additives that we aren’t fans of. Like many foods and ingredients in supplement form, you need to be very careful of the quality and unexpected contamination. Be careful using these types of kava at home.
Kava Nectar
At Kavahana, we make our drinks with Kava Nectar. It’s an instant formula of kava extracted from dehydrated kava root. Making Kava Nectar is a less intensive preparation process, making it a great option for making kava at home.
All you need to make Kava Nectar is water or your favorite non-alcoholic beverage. It’s as simple as making instant hot chocolate. This form of kava is very smooth and potent. You usually only need 30-50% of the amount you’d use to make traditional kava for the same effects.
No matter how you choose to make your kava, be sure to use the highest-quality ingredients. This will ensure a great experience overall.
