N
Noname
What's the difference
Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
In terms of the Kava, literally just the place they're grown, but that has a lot of implications...
In terms of business, Hawaiian farmers have more control over the consistency and type of Kava they are growing. They also don't have to face high shipping costs, which means their Kava should be much cheaper than imported Kava. In essence, it should have a good and consistent quality and a lower press than foreign competitors.
Tongan Kava, to me, is pretty consistently the best in terms of flavor, effects, and freshness.
Fijian Kava is sometimes tainted with cheaper Vanuatuan Kava, such as imported wild Kavas from Vanuatu or PNG. That being said, all of the vendors I have reviewed sell great Fijian Kava! A lot of crappy "Fijian" Kava at Kava bars is mixed with terrible Kava. Tonga doesn't seem to face this problem.
Vanuatuan Kava is pretty consistently the best. It is the heartland of Kava. They have the strongest varieties of Kava, and also the widest variety. Unfortunately, Vanuatu is a pretty wild place and consistency can be an issue.
The botany of Kava is a separate topic. Kava migrated around the Pacific for thousands of years and cultivars evolved and had different traits selected for in that evolution and diffusion.
In terms of business, Hawaiian farmers have more control over the consistency and type of Kava they are growing. They also don't have to face high shipping costs, which means their Kava should be much cheaper than imported Kava. In essence, it should have a good and consistent quality and a lower press than foreign competitors.
Tongan Kava, to me, is pretty consistently the best in terms of flavor, effects, and freshness.
Fijian Kava is sometimes tainted with cheaper Vanuatuan Kava, such as imported wild Kavas from Vanuatu or PNG. That being said, all of the vendors I have reviewed sell great Fijian Kava! A lot of crappy "Fijian" Kava at Kava bars is mixed with terrible Kava. Tonga doesn't seem to face this problem.
Vanuatuan Kava is pretty consistently the best. It is the heartland of Kava. They have the strongest varieties of Kava, and also the widest variety. Unfortunately, Vanuatu is a pretty wild place and consistency can be an issue.
The botany of Kava is a separate topic. Kava migrated around the Pacific for thousands of years and cultivars evolved and had different traits selected for in that evolution and diffusion.
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nabanga
Kava Enthusiast
Is not a competition, but Fijian and Tongan kavas can be equivalent/better /worse in every way depending on where you get it from. I have no first hand knowledge of Hawaiian kava but both Fiji and Tonga produce some superb roots - but of course what reaches the shores of the US is a different story, and this is a misconception that comes up sometimes on the forum. A country should not be judged on what products reach overseas markets. I always thought Chinese food was awful in NE England in the 80's but when I finally got to China the food was amazing.
N
Noname
I've heard people say Tongan is uplifting and Fiji is heavier
I think of true Fijian kava to be in the middle between Tongan and Vanuatu kava. Where Tongan is typically lighter and more palatable and Vanuatu is deeper and more peppery in flavor. Fijian kavas often have a higher instance of Methysticin, which can add to the dreamy, balanced vibe. However, although I consider Fiji kava to typically be 'balanced', there are still some which are purely heady...and this also depends on the lawena:waka ratio and your personal reaction to a particular kava.
In general, but not entirely, kava seems to have lightened up as it dispersed through the pacific. The places of origin have heavier, more peppery kavas like in PNG and Vanuatu, as it spread to Tonga & Fiji it got a little lighter, then Samoa, Tahiti, Hawai'i, Micronesia are all relatively lighter, headier kavas that no longer have that dark, pine, pepper taste of the origin. The heaviest kavas in Polynesia are usually still what we'd consider 'balanced'...although they may have the rare cultivar that is truly heavy, it's just not common that you'd ever come across it on the global market.
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nickbroken
Kava Enthusiast
Friggin Kava Jedi up in here.
No, I've contacted some Tahitians, in an attempt to find the 'avini 'ute cultivar...but kava culture is so stamped out there that the majority of French Tahitians seemed to think there is no kava in Tahiti. I need to talk to some Tahitians by blood.Hey Shakas, have you ever had tahitian kava ?
Poivrier
methystified
Well, I'm french but not in Tahiti, I live right opposite you across the Pacific, maybe we should have a meeting mid-way (at the GHK base) and then head down to hunt those elusive 'avas ? I know that the tahitian kavas are still cultivated and there have been some effort to promote the traditional ceremony but I don't know how many tahitian really drink kava as a commodity. There is an interesting thread on the tahitian cultivars here on the forum.
PepperyPyrone
I'll have the pyrones with some pepper, please.
LMAO. Strong the kava force it is.
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
I just don't like the thread title. Versus. Versus is not really in jibe with the spirit that is kava. How about Hawaiian and Fijian and Tongan? That's what I'm into. Oh, and Vanuatu and Solomon and Donner and Blintzen.
OK, those last two aren't kavas.
OK, those last two aren't kavas.