What is Kava?
Kava is a plant, a beverage and a tradition. Piper methysticum is a cultivated shrub of the pepper family whose roots have been prepared as a beverage across the Pacific for roughly 3,000 years.
Over generations, Pacific growers selected, propagated, and preserved distinct cultivars of kava, developing traditions around how it is grown, prepared, shared, and understood. Today, the word Kava refers not only to the plant and the drink made from its roots, but also to the living evolving culture of cultivation, preparation, hospitality, ceremony, and social connection that surrounds it.
The Plant
Kava grows as a cluster of jointed, cane-like stems rising from a dense underground crown and root system. Plants are typically allowed to mature for several years before harvest, during which time the underground portions develop substantially in both mass and chemical composition. Kava does not produce viable seed in cultivation, so it is propagated vegetatively from cuttings. As a result, the cultivars grown throughout the Pacific have been preserved across generations through the deliberate selection and propagation of individual plants with desirable traits or mutations.The Drink
Traditional Kava is prepared by pounding or grinding the roots and underground portions of the plant, kneading the material in water, and straining out the coarse fiber. The result is an opaque, earthy beverage with a distinctive peppery character. Preparation and serving traditions vary throughout the Pacific. For example on Pentecost island in Vanuatu, Kava may be crushed with coral pestles, have water added and then strained through a coconut husk whereas in Pohnpei Micronesia, Kava may be pounded on large basalt tables and squeezed through the fresh bark of the sea hibiscus tree making a thick beverage called Sakau. Kava may be prepared communally and served from a shared bowl or squeezed into individual servings in coconut shells or cups, with customs surrounding its preparation, presentation, and drinking differing from one culture to another.
Which Parts of the Plant Matter
The part of the plant used is one of the fundamental distinctions in Kava quality. Traditional beverage Kava is produced exclsuively from the underground portions of the plant which includes the long lateral roots, the rhizome or basal stump, and appropriate peeled basal stem material up to the second node. Leaves and upper aerial stems are not used in our Kava products. This distinction is reflected in modern Kava quality standards as well. The Codex regional standard for Kava products intended for preparation as a beverage recognizes roots, rhizomes, and basal stems from Noble Kava cultivars as the appropriate raw materials.
-Travis Lowin
Co-Founder
Root of Happiness
A Pacific Tradition Spanning Millennia
Kava has been cultivated and consumed across Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia for roughly three millennia. Its role in these societies varies by island group, but the through-line is social: Kava is drunk to facilitate open discussion, mark agreements, welcome guests, settle disputes, and mark important occasions. Across these cultures, Kava has served as a means of hospitality, ceremony, diplomacy, social gathering, and communication. The particulars differ from place to place, but the relationship between Kava and community is remarkably persistent.
The Rise of Kava Culture in America
In the United States, Kava has developed into a distinct drinking culture of its own. Dedicated Kava bars began appearing in the early 2000s, with particularly strong concentrations developing in Florida and California. Since then, the Kava bar has become an important American setting for introducing people to the traditional beverage and adapting its communal drinking culture to a new environment. That culture now extends well beyond the bars themselves. A nationally representative study of U.S. adults found that 10.7% reported using Kava within the previous year, with Kava bars representing the largest single place of purchase among users. This represents tens of millions of American consumers and suggests that, by number of participants, the United States has developed what may now be the largest Kava-consuming population outside — and potentially anywhere beyond — its traditional Pacific homelands.
What Is Kava? FAQ
The basic questions people usually ask when they first encounter kava.
Kava is legal to sell and consume in the United States, where it is regulated as a dietary supplement or food ingredient depending on the product. Regulations differ substantially by country - some nations restrict or prohibit it - so check local law before travelling with it.
Yes. “Kava,” “kava kava,” and Piper methysticum generally refer to the same plant.
“Kava kava” became common in Western herbal and supplement terminology, but throughout much of the Pacific and within the modern kava community, kava is the simpler and more natural term.
No. Kava and kratom are completely different plants with different chemistry, histories, cultural traditions, and patterns of use.
Kava is Piper methysticum, a Pacific plant traditionally prepared as a social beverage from its underground portions. Kratom is Mitragyna speciosa, a Southeast Asian tree whose leaves contain a different group of compounds. They are sometimes sold in the same venues, which causes understandable confusion, but nothing about one should be assumed to apply to the other.
Kava is both a plant and the traditional beverage made from it. The plant, Piper methysticum, is a perennial member of the pepper family cultivated throughout parts of the Pacific. The beverage is made by processing the underground portions of the plant with water and straining out the coarse fiber.
Kava is also more than a botanical product. Across the Pacific it has developed into a complex set of social, ceremonial, agricultural, and hospitality traditions that vary from culture to culture.
Traditional beverage kava is made from the underground portions of the plant, principally the lateral roots and rhizome or basal stump, with appropriate basal stem material included under some recognized standards.
Leaves and upper aerial stems are not traditional beverage material and are not used in Root of Happiness kava products.
People commonly call it “kava root,” but the material used for traditional kava can include several underground portions of the plant. These include the lateral roots and the larger rhizome or basal stump from which the stems emerge.
So “kava root” is useful shorthand, but botanically the beverage is not necessarily made from lateral roots alone.
Not really. Kava is sometimes loosely called an herbal tea, but traditional kava is prepared very differently.
Tea is usually made by steeping plant material in hot water. Traditional kava is made by mechanically working ground root material in water — kneading, squeezing, and straining it so fine suspended material and water-extractable constituents pass into the beverage.
Traditional kava is earthy, peppery, bitter, and distinctly vegetal. Freshly prepared kava also has a texture and mouthfeel created by the fine root material suspended in the beverage.
A temporary tingling or numbing sensation on the lips and tongue is also commonly noticed when drinking traditional kava.
No. Traditional kava contains no alcohol unless alcohol has been deliberately added to a separate formulated product.
Kava has its own history and cultural role as a Pacific botanical beverage. It should not be described as “natural alcohol,” an alcohol replacement, or a treatment for alcohol dependence.
The kava traditionally consumed as Piper methysticum is a domesticated crop maintained primarily through vegetative propagation rather than seed.
Its ancestry is closely related to wild Pacific Piper species, particularly Piper wichmannii, but cultivated beverage kava represents generations of human selection and propagation rather than simply wild plants harvested from the forest.
Cultivated kava is generally propagated from stem cuttings because the domesticated forms traditionally grown for beverage use do not reliably produce viable seed.
That means individual cultivars can be preserved clonally for generations. This vegetative propagation is one reason distinct named cultivars and regional kava traditions have persisted across the Pacific.
No. Kava is an agricultural crop with substantial variation among cultivars and growing regions.
Cultivar, chemotype, growing conditions, plant age, harvest practices, drying, storage, and processing can all influence the finished product. Two products labeled simply “kava” can therefore be chemically and experientially quite different.
No. Kava classification matters.
Beverage suitability depends on factors including cultivar identity, chemotype, plant material, and flavokavain content. Some kava material falls outside recognized beverage specifications and should not be sold for drinking.
Start With A Sample Pack
Ready to explore kava for yourself? Our sample packs make it easy to discover the kavas you prefer and the preparation styles and formats that fit you best.
Important
This guide is provided for educational purposes and reflects traditional use, published research, and our own experience sourcing, testing, manufacturing and serving kava since 2006. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Kava products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Kava is for adults only. Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not combine with alcohol. Do not drive or operate machinery after consuming kava. Consult a physician before use if you have or have had liver problems, frequently use alcoholic beverages, or take any medication. Discontinue use and consult a physician if you experience symptoms that may signal liver problems, including jaundice, unusual fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, or dark urine.