Bottled kava goes global
A founder of Auckland city’s first kava bar has invented a bottled version of the sedating drink and is exporting it.
The beverage, created at the government-backed FoodBowl facility in south Auckland’s Ma¯ngere, is the first ever bottle of ‘‘green kava’’ – that is, juice pressed from fresh kava roots.
Most kava consumed in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands is made from straining a dry powder in water.
Pacific Roots Kava co-creator Zbigniew Dumienski said it was common practice to turn kava roots into a powder for long-term storage.
But in Vanuatu, a juice is pressed from the roots and drunk on the spot. The result was a more potent, bettertasting drink that was easier on the stomach, he said.
Those who have only sampled kava in watered-down tourist ceremonies might be surprised at the strength of Dumienski’s creation.
Kava, often maligned and misunderstood in the West, is now growing in popularity, seen as a healthy alternative to alcohol.
It produces relaxing effects without intoxicating the drinker and preliminary studies suggest it does not impair driving.
Dumienski said 90 per cent of his stock was exported to America, where it was sold over the counter in kava bars.
It is also available at the Auckland kava bar he co-founded – Four Shells at Victoria Park Markets.
He developed the drink after trying out various machines at the FoodBowl, searching for the best way to press the juice. The roots arrive frozen from growers in countries across the Pacific including Vanuatu, Tonga and Fiji.