Mixed Plate Special - You say kava, I drink ‘awa

You say kava, I drink ‘awa

Tuesday, October 02 2007

If you’re new to kava, or ‘awa, as it is known in Hawai‘i, the annual Hawai‘i Pacific Islands Kava Festival gives you an excellent introduction. Derived from the plant, piper methysticum (from the Latin piper for “pepper,” from the Greek methysticum for “intoxicating”), kava is most commonly enjoyed as a beverage that is an emulsion of pounded root and water. It’s used ceremoniously, therapeutically, and socially, and has a unique cultural significance in the Pacific Islands.

Regular drinkers know that ‘awa encourages deeper and more imaginative thinking. Certainly many a casual conversation at an ‘awa bar has inspired great community projects and creative collaborations. Fittingly, the motto of this year’s event is I Maluhia ka Honua, "so that the world may be at peace."

The first taste of the muddy brown liquid is often taken reluctantly. Take J. Maarten Troost’s account from Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu:

“Clearly this was different than drinking wine. With kava, one didn’t admire its lush hue, or revel in its aromatic bouquet, or note the complex interplay of oak and black currant. This was more like heroin. Its consumption was something that was to be endured. The effect was everything. What concerned me, however, was not the taste but the possibility that this bowl of swirling brown liquid may have had as one of its essential ingredients the spit of unseen boys, which, frankly, I found a little off-putting.”

It’s a common reaction among kava newcomers, but as your tongue adapts to the flavor and your mind opens to the ritual, you will quickly become a convert. (Troost goes on to admit that he likes it very much, “oh yes, very much indeed” and it became the inspiration for the book.)

Anyway, try for yourself at the kava festival this Saturday. There will be live entertainment from The Girlas, Stephen Inglis, Johnny Helm, Kealoha, Halau Lokahi and others, as well as educational and cultural booths, ‘awa sampling, ‘awa plants, food booths, and a display of kava-serving implements from Bishop Museum’s Pan-Pacific collection. For more information, look here.

UH–Mänoa main campus at McCarthy “Mall”
Saturday, Oct. 6
9:00am-5:30pm
Free Admission
Parking on street or on campus ($3)