Always the Best Kava
Kava tea is a unique ceremonial brew with its origins in Micronesia and Polynesia. The noble kava is an extension of the culture from the island nation of Vanuatu to the world. Tourism has been the main generator of revenue for Vanuatu, but since the boom of kava kava root, this has changed. Kava export is now one of the significant sources of income for the people of Vanuatu. This ceremonial drink, which has gained recent worldwide popularity, has rooted itself in the US. In major US cities, there are now kava bars. In these bars, you can find kava kava that comes from many islands such as Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Hawaii.
One thing is for sure, Ceremonial, Black Label and Taboo Kava root from Vanuatu continues to be our biggest sellers. Vanuatu has made a strong effort to focus on producing top-quality crops. We are grateful to have found a handful of the best cultivators of noble kava. Not all kava is created equal, and as a supplier, we believe it is vital to work with people who care as much about kava as we do.
Kava is a special drink in Vanuatu and remains so to this day. There are many kava bars in Vanuatu and often serve customers kava daily.
Traditions and Vanuatu Kava
Kava is a constant in everyday life of the people of Vanuatu. It has been part of the island's history for many centuries. The history of Vanuatu shows that the drink has been a part of their ceremonies and rituals. They reserve select kava for special rituals or medicinal use. This variety, known as Tudei, because of their strong effect. The effects can last for a couple of days, hence the pronunciation two-day. This kava has had a bad reputation but is considered medicinal also and not for everyday use. It is not legal for exporters to sell tudei kava outside of the country. Kava makes up a large part of the identity of the people of Vanuatu. Kave is highly respected, and consumption has grown. The government attributes kava drinking to more docile men and less family violence. Kava bars will continue to open around the island, for mostly the locals, but the door is wide open for tourists.
Quality Control Ensures You Get Only the Best Kava
The fact that the government of the island closely monitors the exportation of kava is exceptional for American sellers and consumers. It ensures that customers get the best quality, most consistent, and safest end product. The island makes money from the kava business, and demand is bound to keep growing due to the quality of the kava exported being of the highest standards. The only kava allowed for export is the kava suitable for everyday consumption known as noble kava.
Ban on Tudei Exports
There is an export ban placed on the Tudei (Non-noble) kava variety. Consuming too much of this kava, and using it daily is considered harmful. Since it is growing in popularity around the world, the Vanuatu government is taking no chances that its reputation is ruined by consuming irresponsibly. The tudei kava Vanuatu ban has been in effect for some time now. The prohibition on Tudei is only for export. It is still widely used in special ceremonies in Vanuatu. They also use the Tudei variety for medicinal purposes. Tudei is a reserved kava variant, and the government of Vanuatu is doing its best to keep it so.
One of the Best Ways It Helps Communities Gain Wealth
The island of Vanuatu alone makes several million in US dollars every year from kava exports. The profit boom from the kava kava doesn't just go to the government alone as there is a notable increase in the cash going to farmers. This revenue boom has created more wealth for the people of Vanuatu as there is so much demand for kava from Vanuatu. We predict the market demand for Vanuatu noble kava to overtake supply in a few years. The government and farmers are in a race to meet the increasing demand for kava.
Volcanic Soil and Kava in Vanuatu
Vanuatu has some volcanic soil from previous eruptions. Some of these volcanoes have been dormant for years, but the lava they spewed out years ago is still very active. The volcanic ash and lava rest on the surrounding soil. This volcanic material is rich in minerals and finds its way into the kava plant resulting in a high-quality root and creating a different special taste. The kava root thrives because Vanuatu's volcanic soil is loaded with nutrients from previous eruptions on almost all of its islands.
The Allowed Kava for Export
The kava root allowed for export is noble kava. Noble kava goes through quality testing to prove that it is potent and appropriate for export. Inspectors verify to make sure there is no contamination and tested to be safe if it passes all requirements.Controlled Exports
Vanuatu monitors all kava for export and has strict regulations. There is a selection process for kava in Vanuatu, which relies on a few essential factors such as Kavalactone, chemotypes and age.
Kavalactone Content
Kavalactones are the active ingredients of kava and is what causes the root’s effect. There is a minimum strength that kava must attain to export outside the island. These kavalactones are responsible for affecting the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the brain.
Kava Chemotypes
Kava has six main kavalactones which make up the profile of the root. These kavalactones are one way to identify noble kava from tudei.
- demethoxy-yangonin
- Dihydrokavain
- Yangonin
- Kavain
- Dihydromethysticin
- Methysticin
The amount of concentration of each kavalactone determines the order that make up a combination called chemotype. There is a winning combination for noble kavas. Chemotypes can also help find out what region the kava came from.
Age
The kava for export also has to be of a certain age. There are different times for a kava variety to mature. The noble kava variety takes longer to grow than the Tudei variety. The noble kava can take within 4-5 years to reach the harvesting stage. This aging gives the kava its distinct flavor and desired effect. The Tudei kava takes a few months to a year for it to get to the adult stage.
Conclusion
Vanuatu is taking their Kava production seriously. Vanuatu health inspectorate is doing a good job at controlling exports coming out of the country, and in turn, this helps the kava market by having high-quality end products for the world to consume. This control helps lower the amount of tudei kava on the US territory. The kava demand in Vanuatu is definitely on the rise. Because noble kava takes many years to produce, we can expect Vanuatu growers to find it difficult to create enough supply. We can all be grateful for the kava root and hope that all producing islands of this crop take Vanuatu as an example to follow in the future.
Where Can I Buy the Best Kava From Vanuatu?
If you are looking for the best kava in the USA, we follow the golden rules that lead us to the best suppliers from Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. We offer only the highest and most consistent quality kava. BULA!
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