Is there a way to make Kava actually taste good ?

[kl.draikin]

Hi everyone,

I know some people use other than water with Kava to make it more palatable and less unpleasant to drink. But is it possible to make it actually good ?

 

[kavalover]

I think it already tastes pretty good myself :3



Something worth trying is coffee creamer, I used to get the mint chocolate "international delight" brand... It's thick and sweet so it will fill you up quicker but I remember it knocking the kava taste right out of the water.

 

[kl.grudge]

First, start with a 'head' based kava like PK Hawaiian or Fiji or BKH Fu'u or Blackbag. These generally taste better than heavier, body kavas.



Mix equal parts of kava and Nestle Quik powder and then prepare in milk or milk like liquid (i.e. coconut or soy milk) - makes a pretty tasty brew. I would stick to 1 tbsp kava to 1 cup of water ratio because the stronger you make it the more kava taste you get (of course). Also use cold water/milk because warmer water brings out more bitterness.



Another trick for micronized powders (super fine grounds) is to put Nestle syrup (I promise I don't own any Nestle stock ;-) until it makes a thick, chocolatey paste. I then add a drop of orange extract (I found some oil based, instead of alcohol because I don't like ANY alcohol around kava, but that is just my paranoia). That makes a pretty good kava paste for your 'instant' kava needs.



Alternately go the opposite route, make super strong kava (always filter if you do this) and slam it. Of course, next time you are drinking whiskey, vodka or even black coffee, just stop and taste it - they really are just as bad as kava in their own way. It is just your brain associates good things with their consumption so you adjust yourself to the taste.

 

[kl.Gray Owl]

grudge's advice is right on the money.  I find that Hawaiian strains are better tasting, but can be weaker.  Mo'i is the best tasting kava I've ever had but I haven't been able to find it for over 6 months.  Some people like the taste of Bula Kava House Fu'u, it is a milder-tasting white kava but still packs quite a punch.  I've also used flavored syrups like Amoretti or Torani, chai spice is a flavor that I think works well.

 

[Steve]

kava candy!...actually kavalover has it on the money, creamers work really well and are quite.  If you are more into brewing and taking some time, try some ginger.  Getting kava to taste good is a passion of mine and trying to hide all the bitter notes at the end is a fun process.

 

[kl.grudge]

kava candy!...actually kavalover has it on the money, creamers work really well and are quite.  If you are more into brewing and taking some time, try some ginger.  Getting kava to taste good is a passion of mine and trying to hide all the bitter notes at the end is a fun process.

Notice that almost all of these suggestions (besides ginger) are used with coffee. So if you have a favorite way of flavoring your cup of joe, you may want to start there. For example, I find adding some cinnamon, milk and sweetener is pretty good too.

That being said, it is ok to start with some flavor help, or use it to introduce kava to others, but you will find kava is very drinkable on its own after a while. There are such a range of flavors that has been part of the magical kava journey for me, and you would miss that by flavoring all the time.

Also because you might think Steve is being self serving, my unbiased Thumbs Up to kava candies too (mild but tasty).

 

[Paradise Kava]

I have heard of coconut milk being added, spices like cinnamon being helpful and all sorts of things people add. Lecithin etc etc

I have struggled to appreciate any recipe besides the following.



Tonight I made my fav. recipe for an end of the day sesh.

Brewed some tea with loose kookoolau leaves and mamaki leaves (both native Hawaiian herbs great for the liver, lower blood pressure and a host of other things)

Cooled the tea and then bust out some fresh frozen kava and squeezed it into the tea.

Delicious and refreshing. Besides, my body loves this combo.

Normally keep a piece of tangerine handy after each bowl, or crystallized ginger from Reeds, or a cigar, or anything that cleanses the palate a bit.

Writing from heaven now.

 

[kl.Z]

If you use instant kava, then it is pretty easy to make your drink taste really nice. Just use some juice instead of water to dissolve it and you may end up having a cocktail that tastes almost better than the juice by itself. 
As for kava powder, I often throw some gignger, honey and a bit of lemon juice in. Some people mentioned you should use the stuff you would use to improve the taste of coffee. I personally use the kind of ingredients I would use with tea and it works pretty well for me. 
Other than that, make sure your kava is sufficiently dilluted. I used to use 4-5 tablespoons of kava per cup of water until I went to Tonga and realized that kava actually does taste quite nice when you use WAY more water.

 

[Ed!]

I happen to have some fresh ginger in the fridge. I think I'm going to try a bit in my brew tonight.

 

[Steve]

thanks Grudge - actually I was kind or joking but hope it didn't come off that way   I have just spent a lot of time trying to get kava to taste better so introduction is easier.

 

[Ed!]

Don't think I used enough ginger... it didn't taste much different than just adding water.

 

[kl.Z]

Did you blend it with kava? You need to use a LOT of fresh ginger to significantly alter the taste.I personally use ginger powder instead. It is really easy to dissolve/mix it and you don't need that much (actually be careful not to use TOO much as it can easily make your kava undrinkable)

 

[Ed!]

Yeah, I blended it with the kava. Not sure exactly how much I used but it was definitely not enough.

 

[krunkedout]

I think tomorrow I'm going to use the nesquick powder idea so that I can tempt one of my squeamish girl friends (friend who happens to be a girl) to drink kava that way they can know what krunk is, assuming they don't have a reverse tolerance, but she is super sensitive to just about every substance so I'm not to worried about that