Kava colors

[kl.KarmaG]

I recently purchased some different kava varieties. It's interesting the range of colors that kava can have. Right now I've got kava that is almost white and kava that is very dark, so dark that it almost resembles cocoa. Can one make assumptions of kavalactone make-up based upon the color of the kava or is it just a reflection of the soil that it was grown in or some other variation? The light kava is from Vanuatu and the dark is Tongan if that makes a difference.

 

[kl.Gray Owl]

I don't think kavalactones have much effect on the color, for example Fu'u from BKH is strong but lighter in color. The color could be due to the cultivar, the soil, or the processing. For example, with white kava like Fu'u, more of the root is peeled off, and that probably contributes to the lighter color vs. kava with more or all of the peel left on will be darker in color. I would guess that the amount of lateral vs. vertical root could change the color as well.

 

[kavalover]

Almost all Waka grade kavas (waka being purely lateral roots and no crown roots) I have tried have been very light in color, sometimes a white but usually in between yellowish to creamy whitish. Where you'll find most kava not marked as waka grade will be made up primarily of crown roots and in turn has been much darker in color, but not always, so there's other variables.



As for the roots being peeled Gray Owl is absolutely right, I've bought rootlets from two suppliers now and from a little experimentation on my part, I found out what was up with darker varieties. If you ever look at the finer kava particles sitting at the bottom of a shell, or leave an empty kava bowl overnight and look at it in the morning, you might find what looks very much like 'black sand'. I think that the root cause (pun intended) of darker kava is the roots not being peeled. When I would strip my rootlets of bark before grinding, the kava was white - yellowish, when I would not strip the bark, it was definitely darker and sometimes a dark cocoa brown. Not to mention the bark gives off a huge amount of the earthy taste in kava, whereas without the bark would be the primary source of the kava's taste itself.

 

[kl..]

Almost all Waka grade kavas (waka being purely lateral roots and no crown roots) I have tried have been very light in color, sometimes a white but usually in between yellowish to creamy whitish. Where you'll find most kava not marked as waka grade will be made up primarily of crown roots and in turn has been much darker in color, but not always, so there's other variables.



As for the roots being peeled Gray Owl is absolutely right, I've bought rootlets from two suppliers now and from a little experimentation on my part, I found out what was up with darker varieties. If you ever look at the finer kava particles sitting at the bottom of a shell, or leave an empty kava bowl overnight and look at it in the morning, you might find what looks very much like 'black sand'. I think that the root cause (pun intended) of darker kava is the roots not being peeled. When I would strip my rootlets of bark before grinding, the kava was white - yellowish, when I would not strip the bark, it was definitely darker and sometimes a dark cocoa brown. Not to mention the bark gives off a huge amount of the earthy taste in kava, whereas without the bark would be the primary source of the kava's taste itself.

Interesting...I wonder if the bark is the reason that Chief's Jungle has such an earthy taste compared to the other kava's I've tried?  Did you find that the bark being on effected the strength of the kava?  (Not that I want Chief's Jungle to be stronger, just curious).

 

[kavalover]

Almost all Waka grade kavas (waka being purely lateral roots and no crown roots) I have tried have been very light in color, sometimes a white but usually in between yellowish to creamy whitish. Where you'll find most kava not marked as waka grade will be made up primarily of crown roots and in turn has been much darker in color, but not always, so there's other variables.



As for the roots being peeled Gray Owl is absolutely right, I've bought rootlets from two suppliers now and from a little experimentation on my part, I found out what was up with darker varieties. If you ever look at the finer kava particles sitting at the bottom of a shell, or leave an empty kava bowl overnight and look at it in the morning, you might find what looks very much like 'black sand'. I think that the root cause (pun intended) of darker kava is the roots not being peeled. When I would strip my rootlets of bark before grinding, the kava was white - yellowish, when I would not strip the bark, it was definitely darker and sometimes a dark cocoa brown. Not to mention the bark gives off a huge amount of the earthy taste in kava, whereas without the bark would be the primary source of the kava's taste itself.

Interesting...I wonder if the bark is the reason that Chief's Jungle has such an earthy taste compared to the other kava's I've tried?  Did you find that the bark being on effected the strength of the kava?  (Not that I want Chief's Jungle to be stronger, just curious).

Not sure about chief's, it wouldn't surprise me though, that stuff is definitely earthy (smiley: sick) but out of the two PNG kavas I've tried, they were very similar. Root bark is definitely not the only variable determining kava taste. But no I didn't notice any significant change in the effects with or without the bark, only taste/color. Might be interesting to prepare a few shells with only bark hehe

 

[kl..]

lol. I probably couldn't take that. I love the earthy smell, but the taste is eye opening at best.