Aloha everybody, long time drinker, first time poster

[Slipperwood]

Hey everybody, I guess this is as good a place to start as any. Um born and raised in Hawaiʻi, been drinking kava for over a decade after studying Oceanian archaeology for a bit (we used to have this real awesome Kava Festival at the local college campus here with stuff from all over the Pacific served up from real ironwood bowls, no joke), mostly Ni-Van stuff and of course the local 'awa when it's available. Lately been getting more into instants since I have a nerve condition in my hands that makes squeezing and straining a literal pain, although I might try the Aluball if instants become hard to source for any reason. Even though I'm one kamaʻāina I surprisingly favor dakine heavy stuff, good for da nerves! Anyways I'm glad to be here, you all sure know your kavas and seem to be real passionate about them too. E hānai 'awa a ikaika ka makani

 

[Alia]

Are you in an area of Hawai'i where you can grow 'awa plants? For the 1st decade of my 'awa use I chewed root/stump fresh from plants I grew.
Later began making beverage. So maybe due to your nerve condition, you could try chewing fresh. Works great.

 

[Slipperwood]

Eh Alia, that sounds awesome! Still, I'm disabled and live way in town now so that's no good for me. Also my nerve problems aren't just in the hands, so chewing even the fresh root might be hard. I see you grow and collect da 'awa, that's dope you helping to conserve it all. You get any rare local cultivars? I remember when I was healthier and down in Tahiti for archaeology work nobody I talked to there grew 'ava anymore which is a shame, but they say you can still find some in the mountains. I wonder if it's like that in the other eastern high islands too, never made it out there. I hope botanists can save the old cultivars before they all get extirpated!

 

[Alia]

Eh Alia, that sounds awesome! Still, I'm disabled and live way in town now so that's no good for me. Also my nerve problems aren't just in the hands, so chewing even the fresh root might be hard. I see you grow and collect da 'awa, that's dope you helping to conserve it all. You get any rare local cultivars? I remember when I was healthier and down in Tahiti for archaeology work nobody I talked to there grew 'ava anymore which is a shame, but they say you can still find some in the mountains. I wonder if it's like that in the other eastern high islands too, never made it out there. I hope botanists can save the old cultivars before they all get extirpated!

Your thoughts on rare and/or lost cultivars of 'awa / kava are poignant. Most all of the unique Hawaiian cultivars we know of are listed in the Hawaiian 'Awa book you can find under publications in associationforhawaiianawa.org . I believe if more people grow ava / 'awa / kava....the lost cultivars will be rediscovered via somatic mutation.
So far all the somatic mutations in my collection remain in the Hawaiian DNA. For example, Papa 'Ele 'ele mutating to Hiwa, etc.

 

[Slipperwood]

Mahalo for the resources, Alia! Yes I'm sure the ancient cultivars will return some day, kava growing here seems like it was very sophisticated back in the day after all. Keep up the good work, I hope you get something cool to show us sometime