Kava Kava Powder Preparation

Kava kava powder can be prepared in your kitchen blender.

Many stores or Web portals that sell herbal products sell Kava Kava in the form of a powder for making a beverage. Kava Kava powder comes from the roots of the pepper plant. The kava kava pepper plant or Piper methysticum is native to the Pacific Islands. Native people of the Pacific Islands have make and drink kava kava beverage because of its taste and because of its therapeutic properties. Kava kava provides an herbal alternative to alcohol and helps with withdrawal symptoms associated with alcohol addiction. Kava kava is thought to have antidepressant and antianxiety properties.

Things You'll Need

• Water at room temperature
• Vegetable oil
• Milk
• Blender
• Teaspoon
• Wire mesh strainer or cheesecloth or muslin
• 2 bowls
• Flavor, spice or additive of your choice

Instructions

1. Put the kava kava powder in water and stir well. The measurement used is one heaping tsp. of kava kava powder for every 1 cup of water. If you plan to make large quantities of kava kava, add the required amount of water to a blender. Add the measured quantity of kava kava powder to the water in the blender and blend for at least 10 minutes with short one minute breaks in between. You can also add 1 cup of milk or vegetable oil to the mixture if you wish.

2. Measure and pour water into a bowl. Cover the bowl with a cheesecloth or muslin cloth completely. Put the powder on the cloth, then rub or knead the kava kava powder through the cloth. The kava kava mixture will become brown or dark brown. Remove the cloth, making sure that none of the kava kava gets into the bowl. Gather the edges of the cloth carefully and squeeze into the bowl.

3. Place a strainer or put a fresh muslin or cheesecloth over the other bowl. Pour the contents of the first bowl into the strainer and strain again to remove any kava kava powder that may have escaped into the liquid.

4. Add flavor, spice or other additive of your choice to the liquid. You can add cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom powder, chocolate syrup or a scoop of vanilla ice cream with the kava kava drink.

Tips & Warnings

• Herbal stores and portals selling herbal products sell different brands of kava kava and imports from Fiji are reputed to be the strongest.

• Kava kava makes you drowsy and you should not drive or operate machinery after drinking kava. Kava kava is potent and should be drunk in moderation.

References

• Just Pacific Trading: Preparing an Instant Kava Brew
• Erowid: Kava Recipe