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Does the color of kava indicate any traits?

the_wilderness

Kava Enthusiast
For you kava buffs...there is a pretty huge range of kava browns out there, and just wondering if this predicts anything. I've noticed that Hawaiian awas are often lighter in color, and often the flavour of lighter kavas is less pungent--the very worst tasting kavas have been the darkest root. I couldn't say much as to difference in effects, but would be interested in other experiences.
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
In general:

Stump/lawena= lighter colour
Lateral roots = darker colour

However, there are also other factors, such as: was kava properly washed, was it peeled, how thick/old were the roots etc etc. Beyond this, yellow colour in kava indicates flavokavains. All kavas have them, but non noble kavas have way more fks than noble kavas and hence are often very yellow (i think tudei is sometimes called yellow kava in Vanuatu?)
Are you sure about the yellow being fks? I have bought two different extracts - both bright yellow, done my own extraction with ethanol - bright yellow and when I do a specific blender method I get really strong extraction from the root - all yellow. These were all noble kavas. It was my understanding that kavalactones are yellow and sticky, not fks....
 

SelfBiasResistor

Persist for Resistance!
Yep, pretty sure. Noble kava also has fks and remember that extracts pull way more fks out of the root than traditional method
I don't know, even water extraction pulls out lots of yellow, sticky bits. Yellow froth on top of the grog usually seems to indicate a stronger drink and every strainer I've used gets stained yellow pretty quick. Unless FKs go up proportionally with KLs.
 

kastom_lif

Kava Lover
yellow colour in kava indicates flavokavains. All kavas have them, but non noble kavas have way more fks than noble kavas and hence are often very yellow (i think tudei is sometimes called yellow kava in Vanuatu?)
Tudei is indeed sometimes called yelo kava. It may contrast more when comparing fresh squeezed root, rather than dry powder. Yellow tones stands out more when the everyday kava is gray/green, rather than brown.

Hello hello, mi dring melomelo. No wandem dring kava spos kava hem i yelo.
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
Yep, pretty sure. Noble kava also has fks and remember that extracts pull way more fks out of the root than traditional method
Sure but they are still dominated by Kavalactones. If I run my blender on high with almost any kava for more than a few minutes I will get a yellow sticky paste stuck to the side. By shear volume this can't be FKs which are a very small % of the noble root.
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
Well, I guess you will have to discuss it with all the scientists who have described flavokavains as responsible for the yellow colour. If I remember correctly kavalactones are actually transparent.
Would love to. Do you have any references? I can't seem to find any on the color of FKs or KLs.
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
Oh, looks like I am mistaken and flavokavains arent the only yellow substances in kava. It seems some kavalactones might also be yellow so apologies for the mistake.
So, yellow colour is due to flavokavains and potentially some kavalactones
No apologies necessary my friend. We are all learning stuff together.
 

sɥɐʞɐs

Avg. Dosage: 8 Tbsp. (58g)
Review Maestro
I've definitely seen "yellowness" specifically mentioned as an indicator of tudei or at least certain varieties of tudei kava. It's been mentioned here before that Isa stands out as having yellow insides. But I've also seen yellowness in my own noble kavas and have seen it described in regard to other specific noble kavas.

I've pulled some quotes:
"In water, kavalactones form an unstable emulsion. This is the reason why kava drinkers stir up the yellow, oily, and starchy bottom of their bowls often." -The Hawaiian 'Awa Book

"Rootstock color varies from white to dark yellow, depending upon the amount of psychoactive kavalactones that are contained in a lemon yellow resin." -Kava: The Pacific Elixir

"They clean the kava with their knives and polish it with handfuls of coconut fiber. After giving it a final inspection, they bite off yellowish stump and begin to chew. Each is careful to mix in his mouth pieces of the stump itself with one or two elongated kava roots." -Kava: The Pacific Elixir

"Chewers are soon surrounded by pads of green leaves on which sit growing mounds of masticated yellow kava." -Kava: The Pacific Elixir

"(Tanna) Ahouia: The stump of this cultivar (whose name means "yellow") has a very distinct yellow interior, indicating that is is very potent (i.e. rich in kavalactone resin). -Kava: The Pacific Elixir

"(Tahiti) Marea: Root was lemon-yellow on the inside" -Kava: The Pacific Elixir
Then I have these two images that contradict each other, assuming 1-6 on the 2nd image correlate to the 6 major kavalactones.
kavalactones.png
kavalactone-color.png


 
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