Root of Happiness Kava Blog Post Articles

The Kava Journal

Field notes, research, history, culture, cultivation, and observations from more than two decades working with kava.

Understanding Kava Varieties: Noble, Tudei, and Papua ISA

Science & Research

March 28, 2025 4 min read

Understanding Kava Varieties: Noble, Tudei, and Papua ISA

Understanding Kava Varieties: Noble, Tudei, and Papua ISA In the diverse world of kava, not all varieties are created equal....

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Latest from the Journal

Blender jar of freshly macerated kava with a thick foam emulsion carrying a yellow tinge

extraction fresh frozen kava kava science method white paper

August 31, 2026 1 min read

Thirty seconds, three cycles, one 150 µm bag: the short warm-water extraction behind the numbers

The full short warm-water extraction protocol from White Paper No. 2 — fresh frozen root, 30-second maceration, a 150 µm nylon bag, three cycles — and why most of the kavalactone in the cup is carried on solids, not dissolved.

HPTLC chromatogram of Kali-ISA, Kali-Rogu and Kali-Hiwa kava roots under derivatized white light, showing the characteristic kavalactone band at Rf 0.4

american kava hplc hptlc kava science kavalytics nirs research white paper

August 31, 2026 2 min read

Three Ways of Asking the Same Question: Is American-Grown Kava Really Kava?

Before you can say anything useful about how strong a kava is, you have to prove what it is. The three American-grown cultivars behind Technical White Paper No. 2 were put through three independent identity checks, HPTLC fingerprinting, HPLC-UV quantification and near-infrared classification with KavaLytics, and all three agreed. Every lot is authentic Piper methysticum, and every lot is beverage-grade, with flavokavains at just 1.6–2.5% of total kavalactones. Two of the three are noble by chemotype; one reads Isa-type, but still very much Beverage-Grade.

Inside White Paper No. 5: 85.5% of the Kava Reaches the Shell — and 90% of It Is Riding on Particles

aluball extraction kava science research white paper

August 30, 2026 1 min read

Inside White Paper No. 5: 85.5% of the Kava Reaches the Shell — and 90% of It Is Riding on Particles

A four-variety mass-balance study measured where the kavalactones go when kava is prepared in an Alu Bottle Shaker. One 60-second cycle moved 77.8% of the root's kavalactones into the shell. Another 60 second extraction moved that extraction figure to 85.5% and 90% of that arrived on suspended particles, not dissolved in water. Traditional kava is a suspension, not a solution and the Alu Shaker® is highly effective at making a quality kava beverage averaging 100mg of kavalactones per 125ml serving.