methysticin in Fijian kava

[kasa_balavu]

I actually disagree. Wakas do differ by color. Below is a picture of the waka sampler packs il be offering soon.
I pressure washed and redried the wakas myself which i got from my farmers and they are 100% pure waka. If you notice closely, the savusavu is the lightest followed by taveuni, beqa and the darkest is kadavu in powder form. If i made this into beverages which i will for my website later on, the kadavu will make the darkest drink and savusavu will be the lightest. The actual beverage will help showcase the differnce in colors.

Thanks for that great pic. The color difference is really apparent when seen side by side.
However, it doesn't support the argument that customers are selecting cultivars, because the customer in Nadi is selecting based on colour or source, but not on cultivar. All of these packages contain a blend of cultivars. I wonder if the soil imparts a color. Maybe the Kadavu kava was grown in red soil?

 

[verticity]

I agree. My point was that the selection pressures prior to commercialisation were more likely to be driven by taste, potency, and effects. Post-commercialisation, the selections pressures are purely for hardiness, drought tolerance, and root mass volume. Any selection for or against any given KL is purely incidental.
The exception to this is what Taki Mai is doing on Ovalau island. They commissioned the Institute of Applied Sciences (USP Lab where Fiji kava is tested) to determine for them which cultivars were most anxiolytic, and have been propagating and growing those cultivars.

Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #202: "The justification for profit is profit."

 

[verticity]

Thanks for that great pic. The color difference is really apparent when seen side by side.
However, it doesn't support the argument that customers are selecting cultivars, because the customer in Nadi is selecting based on colour or source, but not on cultivar. All of these packages contain a blend of cultivars. I wonder if the soil imparts a color. Maybe the Kadavu kava was grown in red soil?

We international consumers really don't care about color. It's a bit hard to believe that there is no color variation among Fijian cultivars. But, frankly, grey, dark grey, purple or pink, we really don't care...

 

[verticity]

I don't care about taste, either. I mean it's kava. It's supposed to taste bad. It's all about effects. Not strength alone. (And like I've already said: the strongest kava does not necessarily have the best effects) I'm not trying to be douche bag here, really. I'm just trying to give you the US consumer perspective about what we look for in kava. Or at least what I look for...

 

[kasa_balavu]

I think @kasa_balavu is a Fijian of Indian descent.... Please correct me if I'm wrong kb.

You're not right. I am looking forward to Diwali though

 

[verticity]

*To be more precise: I'm trying to give you the perspective of someone in the US who is not a member of one of our Pacific Islander communities, all of whose members are just as American as me.

 

[verticity]

You're not right. I am looking forward to Diwali though

Oh, sorry, I just realized you said I am not right. lol. Also known as wrong. I thought you lived in Fiji and were of Indian descent? Do you mean your family moved there recently, so you don't consider that label as applying to you? Sorry, I'm not trying to offend, I'm just curious. Hope I'm not offending.

 

[Kojo Douglas]

The color, flavor, and smoothness/bite are real factors that impact my Kava drinking experiences. I relate the flavor of a Kava to its effects. I still remember the time when we could buy PNG Kavas - you would throw back a shell really quick and it had this vibrant, grassy, overwhelming flavor. But that flavor gave way to a really amazing experience. Now, a smooth Fijian Waka is also complemented by a very mellow, relaxing buzz.

 

[verticity]

The color, flavor, and smoothness/bite are real factors that impact my Kava drinking experiences. I relate the flavor of a Kava to its effects. I still remember the time when we could buy PNG Kavas - you would throw back a shell really quick and it had this vibrant, grassy, overwhelming flavor. But that flavor gave way to a really amazing experience. Now, a smooth Fijian Waka is also complemented by a very mellow, relaxing buzz.

Your name "Kavasseur" is quite literal. And I mean that as a compliment. You are one of the few people I know of who likes the taste of kava... But that is an interesting perspective, which I guess is more holistic than mine. I mean for any other food or beverage I would say flavor and appearance matter a lot. For kava I don't feel that way. Maybe I'm doing it wrong...

 

[verticity]

But since I don't like the taste of kava, I guess I kind of just ignore the taste. There might be a world of subtle flavors to be discovered, but I'm afraid I would barf if I tried to discover them.

 

[ThePiper]

Very interesting thread. I read the first and last page so sorry if i missed something. I do notice that most fijian lawenas are extremely mild on my stomach but even my favorite wakas can make me feel a bit ill if im not very careful. A good waka really does make all your cares melt away though! I wish i knew what methysticin was sposed to feel like

 

[Kojo Douglas]

I think Kava Time's Savusavu Waka is one of the best tasting Kavas out there. Most of what Cactus Kava has to offer is also tasty. I still remember Nakamal at Home's Tongan as being a delicious Kava

 

[TheKavaSociety]

I am surprised that @verticity doesn't care about taste/smell etc. When I started my kava adventure I assumed that every kava tasted the same (i.e. like crap) and just focused on the effects. But with time I started appreciating the importance of flavour. It's not like I drink kava for its taste or sip it slowly, but I just know that some kavas are so mild/sweet or a bit nutty that I can drink them without getting my stomach and face twisted.
When we were looking for our Tongan kava I got around 15 samples of kava from the same village but grown and processed by different farmers. Before sending samples to Garry we did our own organoleptic tests. There were a few kavas that we didn't even touch simply because they had a very unpleasant smell. One kava looked dirty so we didn't touch it either. The sample that we sent to Garry was actually the mildest tasting, easiest to drink one. It felt a bit stronger than the other ones, but its key advantage was how smooth tasting it was. We later found out that the difference wasn't due to cultivar, but the fact that most farmers didn't clean or dry their kava properly.

 

[Kava Time]

Thanks for that great pic. The color difference is really apparent when seen side by side.
However, it doesn't support the argument that customers are selecting cultivars, because the customer in Nadi is selecting based on colour or source, but not on cultivar. All of these packages contain a blend of cultivars. I wonder if the soil imparts a color. Maybe the Kadavu kava was grown in red soil?

The soil does play a role in morphing cultivars. Cultivars differ by color, check the current online vendors and their products and you will notice it.
You're right it probably isnt single varieties except for the taveuni which im sure is only loa because my farmer has advised that he plants only 1 type. Others maybe a blend but there will always be dominance of 1 variety over others due to more of its presence in percentage which will shape the color, effects, taste and potency of kava from different islands and provinces (for bigger islands) in Fiji.
Yeah local customers may not be selecting cultivars directly (no one really knows about cultivars or even cares about scientific distinctions), its more of a indirect selection based on other characteristics which is primarily driven by color in my opinion. A customer only has that option to go with when physically buying kava in the market. Unless if they know that 1 vendor is selling really good kava which he has tried or was told of by referral. But that too can be overlooked if the kava is dark mainly because historically lighteness in color has always been liked to purity/cleanliness etc.
Going back to the main topic, it is possible for high methysticin kava to have spread because it produced light beverages and farmers only had very limited cultivars to work with to get kava on a commercial scale. I dont think there is any research available on the aesthetic features of kava cultivars where correlation can be established for color.

 

[kasa_balavu]

I thought you lived in Fiji and were of Indian descent? Do you mean your family moved there recently, so you don't consider that label as applying to you? Sorry, I'm not trying to offend, I'm just curious. Hope I'm not offending.

No offense taken. I am a kailoma.
"A kailoma (‘others’ in the census classification), also known as a Part-European or half-caste, is “someone descended from a European man married to an Indigenous Fijian or Rotuman woman [from Fijian]” - Macquarie Dictionary of English for the Fiji Islands.
My ancestor arrived here in 1820. I look "whiter" than most kailoma though, because my grandfather went off to war and returned with an aussie girl he met in Sydney on the way back.

 

[Kava Time]

I am surprised that @verticity doesn't care about taste/smell etc. When I started my kava adventure I assumed that every kava tasted the same (i.e. like crap) and just focused on the effects. But with time I started appreciating the importance of flavour. It's not like I drink kava for its taste or sip it slowly, but I just know that some kavas are so mild/sweet or a bit nutty that I can drink them without getting my stomach and face twisted.
When we were looking for our Tongan kava I got around 15 samples of kava from the same village but grown and processed by different farmers. Before sending samples to Garry we did our own organoleptic tests. There were a few kavas that we didn't even touch simply because they had a very unpleasant smell. One kava looked dirty so we didn't touch it either. The sample that we sent to Garry was actually the mildest tasting, easiest to drink one. It felt a bit stronger than the other ones, but its key advantage was how smooth tasting it was. We later found out that the difference wasn't due to cultivar, but the fact that most farmers didn't clean or dry their kava properly.

Yes that is also a factor which determines how pleasant tasting kava would be. Nowadays kava comes almost semi dried so it needs to be dried more before processing. The weight drop is pretty significant which can make your average waka price from $70-80 go up to $90-100 in an instant. The end user or exporter needs to bear this cost. Some farmers dont have access to water supply so they just beat the kava with a stick to remove the soil particles which is ineffective in cleaning. Those that do have access, rinse the kava by hand so there still is particles left. Very few would actually scrub the kava with a brush. The best way to clean is pressure washing but no farmer does that. Think about it, the more discret soil particles the kava contains, the more money you make because of the weight. If the semi dry kava is kept for even a few days it starts to mold very quick. If kept for 2 weeks, you will barely be able to see the kava.
But some kava just naturally doesnt taste very pleasant no matter how well you process it like the kadavu i have. But its super strong stuff. I think the parts of the kava plant also plays a role in taste. I compared my taveuni lawena to waka and shockingly to me, the waka is more pleasant tasting than the lawena! Kava really is a complicated produce

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Yes, some Fijian kavas can be almost tasty. However, it's often hard to tell when one goes to a Fijian kava circle. Most of them mix a pinch of kava with 3 buckets of water yes, they drink 50 buckets per day but individual shells are extremely weak

 

[kasa_balavu]

Yes, some Fijian kavas can be almost tasty. However, it's often hard to tell when one goes to a Fijian kava circle. Most of them mix a pinch of kava with 3 buckets of water yes, they drink 50 buckets per day but individual shells are extremely weak

I know you know this, but for the benefit of anyone who doesn't:
Many (probably most) Fijians drink kava in lieu of going to the pub. Sure you're at the pub for a beer, but you're also there to "escape" and chill with friends.
Why finish the kava in an hour when you can finish it in 3?

 

[TheKavaSociety]

yes. in my opinion this could perhaps explain their preference for M-rich kavas. M builds up very slowly and its effects last for quite a while. By contrast, kavain attains max concentration very quickly and without an adequate dose it's hard to experience the famous "kavain rush". In fact many of my Fijian friends have no idea what I mean by the kavain rush, many of them do not believe that kava can be "uplifting" (i.e. making one more aware of the surrounding, more sensitive to stimuli etc).

 

[Groggy]

I know you know this, but for the benefit of anyone who doesn't:
Many (probably most) Fijians drink kava in lieu of going to the pub. Sure you're at the pub for a beer, but you're also there to "escape" and chill with friends.
Why finish the kava in an hour when you can finish it in 3?

Great info @Henry
Those are the only 2 types of kava I drink, I love the taste of both but of course Lawena is smoother. I have tried the Savusavu waka but wasn't found of it (Not from Kavatime) Generally speaking taste is very important to me. I call Lawena my breakfast kava because it is so smooth and light.