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Has anyone put honey in their kava ?

Plantacious

Kava Enthusiast
Is there any downside to sweetening kava with honey, not just taste, but all the other factors that go into kava, such as texture. potency, etc.
I did a search and couldn't find a thread on someone adding honey to their kava.
So I'm wondering if kava and honey just don't pair up well, for whatever reason.
Before trying it, I wanted to find out anyone's experiences, before potentially ruining a perfectly good batch of kava.
 

Plantacious

Kava Enthusiast
I have used Stevia almost exclusively, to sweeten my kava up until now.
But now I like the kava taste better, with honey, than with Stevia.
 

kavakarma

Kava Enthusiast
I have definitely tried honey Kava. It's excellent. Your downsides will be a sticky mouth and blood sugar balancing. I find, as well as coffee or tea, Kava is nice with honey as a treat which helps add appreciation to the traditional flavor.
 

Zaphod

Kava Lover
Is there any downside to sweetening kava with honey, not just taste, but all the other factors that go into kava, such as texture. potency, etc.
I did a search and couldn't find a thread on someone adding honey to their kava.
So I'm wondering if kava and honey just don't pair up well, for whatever reason.
Before trying it, I wanted to find out anyone's experiences, before potentially ruining a perfectly good batch of kava.
Sure. Early in my kava drinking career I put all kinds of things in my kava including honey. None of it made a difference to make micro more palatable. It was still like drinking sandy ass water. Once I switched to traditional prep I eventually developed a taste for kava and even enjoy the taste of most of them. To your point - the kava did not change anything with the potency. It did make it a bit more smooth (more mouthfeel) than straight kava and water. The sweetness cut the bitterness a bit, but not really the taste.
 

Yogini

Well... there ya have it.
Is there any downside to sweetening kava with honey, not just taste, but all the other factors that go into kava, such as texture. potency, etc.
I did a search and couldn't find a thread on someone adding honey to their kava.
So I'm wondering if kava and honey just don't pair up well, for whatever reason.
Before trying it, I wanted to find out anyone's experiences, before potentially ruining a perfectly good batch of kava.
No but I've used coconut milk. I don't have an issue with the taste though. I wouldn't want it to be sweet and bitter and earthy. Or maybe I would. To me, honey would make it thicker to drink and I wouldn't want that.
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
Is there any downside to sweetening kava with honey, not just taste, but all the other factors that go into kava, such as texture. potency, etc.
I did a search and couldn't find a thread on someone adding honey to their kava.
So I'm wondering if kava and honey just don't pair up well, for whatever reason.
Before trying it, I wanted to find out anyone's experiences, before potentially ruining a perfectly good batch of kava.
The only and best way to avoid the taste, imo, is to drink smaller, stronger shells in one gulp. 4-6 fl oz iced cold shells, whatever is one gulp for anyone. The idea is to minimize the activation of the olfactory cortex, where the brain reacts to the yuck. Our taste buds can only determine 5 different taste profiles. Sweat, salty, bitter, sour & umami. The recognition in the brain of the muddy, peppery anything else taste from kava, comes from the combination of our sense of taste and smell combined. In order to minimize that reaction (if not bypass it all together, as I do), is to throw it back in one large gulp or two if needed but without inhaling any air in or out to activate the olfactory senses, or atleast, minimize it drastically.
 

Yogini

Well... there ya have it.
The only and best way to avoid the taste, imo, is to drink smaller, stronger shells in one gulp. 4-6 fl oz iced cold shells, whatever is one gulp for anyone. The idea is to minimize the activation of the olfactory cortex, where the brain reacts to the yuck. Our taste buds can only determine 5 different taste profiles. Sweat, salty, bitter, sour & umami. The recognition in the brain of the muddy, peppery anything else taste from kava, comes from the combination of our sense of taste and smell combined. In order to minimize that reaction (if not bypass it all together, as I do), is to throw it back in one large gulp or two if needed but without inhaling any air in or out to activate the olfactory senses, or atleast, minimize it drastically.
This is the key for me. One big gulp and down the hatch. I don't think about it and I don't inhale before I drink it. I have a liquid B supplement that tastes far worse than kava and I handle that just fine. That said, I had bulimia for 25 years so everything tastes better than that. (Yes, I have to have a sense of humor about it )
 
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