Kava powder mixed with dirt to add weight? [Kava Shortage]

[Nils]

I heard some talk about there being a kava shortage. Without throwing any names around----because then I'll be accused of trying to do some kind of anti-marketing or something----I had a bad experience with a longtime, popular kava vendor recently. A kava I bought many times, 50+ times, arrived looking much, much darker than usual, shockingly so. And it tasted like dirt (a lot more than kava normally does, and a lot more than this particilar variant of kava normally does). I emailed the customer support, and as expected, they gave me a vague statement about the kava being pure and the dark color and change in taste being due to "seasonal changes"....considering I bought that kava during every season for 5+ years, I don't buy the seasonal changes explanation. There was dirt in the kava to add to the weight. Additionally, this company's 1/2lb kava is way, way cheaper than a lot of other similar company's 1/2lb kavas.

Has anyone else had experiences like this? To say that 100% of all popular vendors would never add anything to their kava to increase its weight per bag---that is not a logically sound thing to say. Any company can do a bad practice if they want to, everyone has free will to do evil. That's capitalism.

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

I can only speak for myself, I do not add anything to my kava, it is 100% kava root. I have to think that the reputable vendors on this kava forums would also NOT add anything to there kava. All the reputable kava vendors here in the kava forums are dedicated to kava and supplying only great 100% kava.
All of us vendors here on the forums want to get return customers so we like to make sure that we only supply the best quality kava you can get.
Take your pick of the vendors here on the kava forums and enjoy some great kava. Aloha.

Chris

 

[Nils]

What vendor was it? Maybe not as reputable as you imply?

Hmm if its not against the rules I'll say it then. Bula Kava House's Boroguru. This was my favorite kava that I've drank for years. Maybe I'll give it one more try in a few months in case it was just a bad batch, but it seems to be they may be thickening it with dirt or something. A lot of big, dark black bits that I don't normally see in it too. It's also oddly very cheap compared to other 1/2lb kavas offered by just about any other kava vendor.

 

[Nils]

I am sure @Bula Kava House wouldn't add dirt to their kava or knowingly sell kava with dirt. Obviously it's possible they made a mistake, but it's also possible that the dark bits aren't dirt but rather the lateral roots' bark (perfectly safe)?

In addition to the darker appearance, it definitely smelled different and tasted different than normal. I bought this kava a lot, I know its taste really well. It's taste was way off this batch.

 

[SelfBiasResistor]

I drink a lot of BKH's Vanuatu kava but I don't buy Borogu since I prefer the heavier varieties. What I have noticed with a lot of lower priced kava is that it will have that thick dark brown/chocolate milk coloring. It also tastes terrible and has weaker effects. It's probably like Henry said and just not peeled as well because the more bark is removed the lighter and creamier it looks and it definitely tastes smoother.

 

[recentreturn]

Hmm if its not against the rules I'll say it then. Bula Kava House's Boroguru. This was my favorite kava that I've drank for years. Maybe I'll give it one more try in a few months in case it was just a bad batch, but it seems to be they may be thickening it with dirt or something. A lot of big, dark black bits that I don't normally see in it too. It's also oddly very cheap compared to other 1/2lb kavas offered by just about any other kava vendor.

The whole logic of your experience makes it sound like it was just an off batch. I mean, you state you've drank the stuff for five years, ordering it more than 50 times and that this is the first time it has tasted this way; sounds like you've had LOTS of good experiences and one bad experience. Who knows what was the cause of the fluke. Could've been some situation on the farm where they just didn't get it cleaned as well as usual for fear of bad weather, who knows. But I find it hard to believe that a company like BKH would intentionally cut their kava with DIRT! btw, don't they post all their current COA's now? Kava is an agricultural product; there can be flukes.

 

[Bula Kava House]

I can definitely confirm there is no dirt added to increase the weight of our kava. The dark pieces are likely bark from the root, as @Henry suggested. If we engaged in business practices like adding dirt to make a couple extra bucks, there's no way we would be in the position we're in right now, having been a leader in the kava industry for over seven years.

We make this kava daily at the bar. We haven't noticed much of a change from previous batches. It's always been pretty dark. The smell seems about the same as usual. I personally drink it regularly, along with hundreds of regular kava bar customers. We also sell multiple pounds of Borogu online every day. Your feedback is the first we've gotten like this.

The price is similar to many other Vanuatu kava varieties, including those from vendors such as KWK, ROH, etc. I sure do wish we could offer it for as cheap as you implied though. It really is a great kava.

All that said, of course we want to take care of all of our customers. Your satisfaction is paramount in what we do. If you, @Nils, are unsatisfied please send me an email directly at [email protected] and I'd be happy to approve a return of the kava.

Judd

 

[Bula Kava House]

@SelfBiasResistor Our Borogu, which is slightly less expensive than many of our other kavas, is a darker color because if has the highest amount of roots of any of our kavas at 50%. Unpeeled roots always make a darker powder and end product. The kavalactone percentage is actually usually pretty high as well. Borogu is a go to for me if I want to make sure I get a solid effect without drinking much.

 

[lonnyzone]

I'm sure the color issue is just bark, which can vary both the color and the taste quite a bit. More bark is common right now with the shortage, it's mainly caused by less efficient washing after harvest, i.e. "in a hurry".

Dirt would be a very poor choice to raise weight; it would be very obvious under magnification, and it would shorten the shelf life of the kava greatly since it would be impossible to sterilize and thus breed mold etc. You could of course use sterilized potting soil, but that isn't exactly economical either rofl. We have had reports of rice flour and concrete being used as "extenders", but I haven't seen any documented cases in the USA.

...Concrete? Please link me to a copy of that report, that's almost too nasty to be true.

 

[Elias]

This is a common practice by fiji indian vendors in Fiji and australia.
When there are massive shortages this practice comes into play. The adding of certain spices and some saw dust...also milk powder.

I hope this practice had already stopped. It' s terrible shame.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

You may have just gotten a particularly barky batch... I would order again and make sure that it is not a consistent thing .. I'm sure it was a flook... hell I would take bula kava house up on his offer to refund it and then use that refund to buy a new order of the same kind and if it's the same quality again.. then don't buy it anymore or bula kava house should lower the price or talk to the farmer ect ect his business not mine lol

 

[Zaphod]

@SelfBiasResistor Our Borogu, which is slightly less expensive than many of our other kavas, is a darker color because if has the highest amount of roots of any of our kavas at 50%. Unpeeled roots always make a darker powder and end product. The kavalactone percentage is actually usually pretty high as well. Borogu is a go to for me if I want to make sure I get a solid effect without drinking much.

I just bought a pound of this Borogu. I can attest it is much darker in color than anything I have had before and a much different taste (I have never tried any Borogu before). Almost a root beer kind of taste to it. It still provided nice gentle kava session for the day. I can't say I am a fan of the taste and I think I prefer the Nangol Noble, and Nambawan for the overall effects and strength, but I certainly didn't get the impression it was mixed with anything. If I get a chance later I will snap a picture or two of it.

 

[Zaphod]

Two pictures comparing the color of Nangol Noble to Borogu. Like I said above, darker than anything I have had before and an unique taste, but overall effects were good...just not my favorite.

 

[Dre]

I heard some talk about there being a kava shortage. Without throwing any names around----because then I'll be accused of trying to do some kind of anti-marketing or something----I had a bad experience with a longtime, popular kava vendor recently. A kava I bought many times, 50+ times, arrived looking much, much darker than usual, shockingly so. And it tasted like dirt (a lot more than kava normally does, and a lot more than this particilar variant of kava normally does). I emailed the customer support, and as expected, they gave me a vague statement about the kava being pure and the dark color and change in taste being due to "seasonal changes"....considering I bought that kava during every season for 5+ years, I don't buy the seasonal changes explanation. There was dirt in the kava to add to the weight. Additionally, this company's 1/2lb kava is way, way cheaper than a lot of other similar company's 1/2lb kavas.

Has anyone else had experiences like this? To say that 100% of all popular vendors would never add anything to their kava to increase its weight per bag---that is not a logically sound thing to say. Any company can do a bad practice if they want to, everyone has free will to do evil. That's capitalism.

Since we are on this topic I'm having some issues with Cactus Kava. Now it may be a coincidence but the Malolo makes my farts exceptionally smelly and now I'm lying in bed with nausea after having consumed some yesterday. I'm not trying to be funny or silly because I take what I put in my body seriously but I'm throwing this out there to see if anyone can relate. Again nothing against Cactus kava but...

 

[Dr.Krunk]

Never had any of such issues with BKH. Only vendor in which I ever see Kava with what could be perceived as dirt is from KWK. Again I’m not saying that is what it is but there always tends to be something irregular that sits at the bottom of the bowl that Kava’s from other vendors don’t seem to have. Personally it doesn’t bother me at all and could be something entirely different. These are roots coming out of the ground after all so I guess I’m indifferent about it. But I suppose this isn’t exactly what the OP was getting at.

 

[Dr.Krunk]

Never had any of such issues with BKH. Only vendor in which I ever see Kava with what could be perceived as dirt is from KWK. Again I’m not saying that is what it is but there always tends to be something irregular that sits at the bottom of the bowl that Kava’s from other vendors don’t seem to have. Personally it doesn’t bother me at all and could be something entirely different. These are roots coming out of the ground after all so I guess I’m indifferent about it. But I suppose this isn’t exactly what the OP was getting at.

I should elaborate in that the Kava looks 100% normal in the bag and what I’m seeing is after the grog is made, again not alarming in any way.