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Kava Tonga

Kavaway

Newbie
Hello kava community! Been in out of the loop with kava forum but wanted to stop by and say hello! Anyhow I have come across some really nice kava from my place of origin, Tonga. This kava is very creamy and taste clean with a strong buzz. Let me know if any of you guys are interested in trying some. I’ll be in and out of the forum but you can message me here or my email: [email protected]
Find me on Instagram as well: KavaWay
Happy thanksgiving y’all!
 

kasa_balavu

Yaqona Dina
Bula Kavaway,
It's become common over the past two decades for Tongans to use unpeeled stems (called black kasa in Fiji). There are compounds in kava stem peelings that kill liver cells. Please make sure that your suppliers don't use any of this stuff for the kava they export. You can see it being unloaded for processing in your video here:
It's easy to test for the presence of this stuff and if your product is found to contain it, you will have trouble selling kava outside of your local islander community.
 

Kavaway

Newbie
Hello kasa_balavu,
Thank you for pin pointing out the unpeeled stems. However the video you are watching are of my guys just finishing harvesting 200 plus kgs from the field and will be sent as soon as finishing grinding and testing. This is a 4 year batch that we are excited to share with you and our kava community here on the forum. The concern of farmers and bad kava are found in every island from Fiji to Hawaii. With all do respect I would have to disagree with your opinion about my Tongan people/farmers as we have been in the kava world just as long as every other Polynesian, Micronesian, Melanesian race etc. We understand the kava root and its “blessings” just as much as the next farmer in Fiji. With that being said I am very excited to share with you guys the best that Tonga farmers have to offer. We are just getting started. Bula and Ofa’s (love) my brother and happy thanksgiving!
 
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kasa_balavu

Yaqona Dina
Bula @Kavaway,
However the concern of farmers and bad kava are found in every island from Fiji to Hawaii. With all do respect I would have to disagree with your opinion about my Tongan people/farmers as we have been in the kava world just as long as every other Polynesian, Micronesian, Melanesian race etc. We understand the kava root and its “blessings” just as much as the next farmer in Fiji.
I did not mean to imply that Tongan kava farmers are less qualified than the farmers of other kava-growing nations. I apologise if it came across that way.
The fact of the matter is that the use of kava stems is not traditional. It is a new phenomenon that started a few decades ago with the commercialisation of kava. This happened in Fiji and Tonga, and continues to this day. Nobody likes to drink kava stems. The only reason it is done is because you can use it to bulk up the root and basal stem so you have more to sell and drink.
It has been scientifically proven that the parts of the kava plant exposed to the sun... the leaves and stem bark, contain compounds that damage the liver. Most islanders don't know about this, and some that do don't care. However, western kava consumers do care, and rightly so.
Feel free to use any part of the kava plant you want in Tonga, but please don't export any kava that contains stem peelings. There are alcoholics trying to use kava to get over their addiction. Some of these people have damaged livers. There is the potential for death when people with unhealthy livers drink kava with stem peelings in it.
 

kasa_balavu

Yaqona Dina
That's good to know. I assumed otherwise because
  1. one doesn't normally transport kava stems meant for replanting all the way to the processing spot. They're normally left in the farm.
  2. stems meant for replanting aren't handled the way they are handled in the video. The way he was handling it would have made them useless for planting due to damage to the eyes/buds at the stem nodes.
  3. other Tongan kava farmers have been shown processing unpeeled kava stems for human consumption.
I'm glad to hear I was wrong, and I'm happy to hear that you won't be selling kava with kava stems in it.
Thanks for the pic of the kava planting experiment. That's pretty cool.
 

Kavaway

Newbie
Hello again kasa_balavu
No worries. Yes the picture is quite amazing how far “quality” farmers have come, especially in Tonga. It’s hard to find good kava as I have been reading around the forum. If you would like to try some of this stuff I have you are more than welcome to email me. A lot of my Fijian buddies at work love the kava and I’m sure you would as well. I can take you on a private trip to the farm step by step as far as technology goes lol Until then hope all is well on your side. Ofa’s toko! (One love brother)
 
Bula @Kavaway,

I did not mean to imply that Tongan kava farmers are less qualified than the farmers of other kava-growing nations. I apologise if it came across that way.
The fact of the matter is that the use of kava stems is not traditional. It is a new phenomenon that started a few decades ago with the commercialisation of kava. This happened in Fiji and Tonga, and continues to this day. Nobody likes to drink kava stems. The only reason it is done is because you can use it to bulk up the root and basal stem so you have more to sell and drink.
It has been scientifically proven that the parts of the kava plant exposed to the sun... the leaves and stem bark, contain compounds that damage the liver. Most islanders don't know about this, and some that do don't care. However, western kava consumers do care, and rightly so.
Feel free to use any part of the kava plant you want in Tonga, but please don't export any kava that contains stem peelings. There are alcoholics trying to use kava to get over their addiction. Some of these people have damaged livers. There is the potential for death when people with unhealthy livers drink kava with stem peelings in it.
Bula @kasa_balavu, @Kavaway

If its ok, would like to join in on your talanoa.

its my understanding, the education on Kava as a whole in Tonga is really low imo. being a part of UOVKava weve seen first hand of this in the community. alot of hard working and passionate kava farmers come through our doors to process there kava and we see this way of preparing kava being used. not that they deliberately disregard how kava should be processed, but because the lack of knowledge and education on kava as a whole.

I can only hope that the powers that be in Tonga whom run the Kava industry do more to educate its farmers to grow and catch up to the rest of the Kava world.

We as a family are growing and hoping we learn more and more about kava and how it should be made.

Ofa atu - One Love
 

kasa_balavu

Yaqona Dina
Bula vina'a,
Thanks for joining this discussion.

its my understanding, the education on Kava as a whole in Tonga is really low imo. being a part of UOVKava weve seen first hand of this in the community. alot of hard working and passionate kava farmers come through our doors to process there kava and we see this way of preparing kava being used. not that they deliberately disregard how kava should be processed, but because the lack of knowledge and education on kava as a whole.

I can only hope that the powers that be in Tonga whom run the Kava industry do more to educate its farmers to grow and catch up to the rest of the Kava world.
The situation you describe is exactly the same in Fiji. The vast majority of Fijian kava farmers don't know or care about these matters. They just want to grow a crop to earn money to feed their families. If there is a market for kava stems, they will sell kava stems. Nobody can blame them for that.

It is incumbent on the Ministries of Agriculture and Health in these Pacific Island countries to educate farmers and consumers about this. It will take time. For now, the most important thing is to ensure all exporters are educated about this so that they can set requirements for their middlemen and farmers.

Once upon a time, the kaivalagi/palangi came to Pacific Island farmers and said: "we're interested in kavalactones, and since the entire kava plant contains them, sell us the entire plant". So Islanders sold them stems and leaves along with roots and stumps.
Now different kaivalagi/palangi come and say "you were right all along to avoid the leaves and stems. We don't want them, and you shouldn't consume them either. Just sell us roots and peeled stump."

Traditional knowledge is the shared wisdom of countless generations that came before us. The reasons why our ancestors did some of the things they did is lost to time, but it's a foolish man who discards old wisdom without trying to figure out why.
 

Alia

'Awa Grower/Collector
That "Traditional knowledge..." last portion of @kasa_balavu post is a seriously good comment! I'll add that a good paper to read to understand the stem issue more is
Piperidine alkaloids from Piper methysticum. 2003. Phytochemistry 63:193-198. Dragull, et. al.
OR just search for Hawaiian 'Awa, Views of an Ethnobotanical Treasure , and read chapter 4.
By-the-Way this book is mostly about Hawaiian 'Awa but fact is Kava is the Treasure of all the Pacific Nations/Regions/Peoples who have held it dear in our hearts, minds, spirit for millenium.
 
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