Market Vendors Discuss Kava Prices in Suva, Fiji
- Thread starter kasa_balavu
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Curious why Waka roots are priced at $100-$130/kg. and pounded is $80/kg. Pounded means the seller included an extra processing step. I would think the pounded kava would be more expensive.
verticity
I'm interested in things
Yeah, I would guess if it's pounded you couldn't tell if it actually is waka or a waka/lewana blend, especially since the waka/lawena distinction seems to be very important in Fiji.
verticity
I'm interested in things
Hey, at least it's a good source of fiber and calcium
kastom_lif
Kava Lover
Is powder suitable as a sevusevu gift? Whole roots may be more valuable because it's bad manners to offer a chief a bag of powder.
kasa_balavu
Yaqona Dina
Most pounded kava sold in Fiji is a blend of waka and lawena (despite how it's advertised), hence the lower prices.
Haha. That's funny. "Buy what you pay for, or buy this cheaper stuff, knowing that it's not what I claim." Quite the marketing plan.
kasa_balavu
Yaqona Dina
Funny thing is that some city folk who're so used to the taste of waka/lawena blends really dislike the relative bitterness of pure waka.
I once brought a guy in the city a kilo of 7yr-old pounded waka from our family farm that I'd grown, harvested, cleaned, dried and hand-pounded myself. I was dating his sister at the time and obviously wanted to impress.
He had one small tanoa of the stuff on it's own before mixing the rest of it with his cheap corner-store grog "to improve the taste". I was furious when I heard. What a waste of good waka!
Still, didn't stop me marrying his sister a few years later LOL.
I once brought a guy in the city a kilo of 7yr-old pounded waka from our family farm that I'd grown, harvested, cleaned, dried and hand-pounded myself. I was dating his sister at the time and obviously wanted to impress.
He had one small tanoa of the stuff on it's own before mixing the rest of it with his cheap corner-store grog "to improve the taste". I was furious when I heard. What a waste of good waka!
Still, didn't stop me marrying his sister a few years later LOL.
Funny. At least he hopefully appreciated the sentiment. Must have since you got the blessing.
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