My silly husband wants to try Kava while we're in Waikiki next month, preferably the brown nasty stuff served in a coconut shell.

Unfortunately, we are missing the Kava Festival at the University by one day!

I have found two health food cafes that serve it, Diamond Head Cove and Kapahulu Cafe. At KCafe it looks like they only add it to a smoothie, but DH sells 8 oz. of it for $5, I assume raw liquid.

Any suggestions or comments? Is this the kind of stuff that we should try in the evening close to bedtime? Not real fond of that maitai-at-lunch blah feeling in the afternoon...

It's been a long, long time, but my memory is that the actual root is indeed pretty nasty. However, I somehow doubt it will be served in the authentic fashion - it involved having someone else prechewing the kava, spitting it out, and letting it steep in liquid. I'll pass on that!

I don't know much about what is being sold today; perhaps someone else can help. However, I do know that many of the preparations will have little or no effect on one's mental state; too little of the active ingedient is provided.

If Kapahulu Cafe is the place near/next to Ono, I have a friend who went there a few times. I think he just said it's sort of like being drunk.

Kava is listed by itself on the menu at Kapahulu Kafe.

www.kapahulukafe.com

There is an e-mail address on the site so you can ask them to make sure.

I drank Kava in Fiji. It didn't do much for me besides making my mouth numb. People definitely don't drink it for its taste. It is like drinking muddy water.

I am reading Getting Stoned with Savages by J. Maarten Troost.
He spent time in Figi and Vanuatu and wrote some comical things about his li'l kava addiction!
One time, he drank some potent stuff and had to be carried home by two locals. Then he slept for two days.
Hmm, think I'll stick to coffee. J.

I've read that book jetset1. Kava (at least the authentic stuff) sounds like it'll mess you up real good.

Is a betel nut hallucinogenic? I believe their transport is illegal.

I very seriously doubt the two day story. Kava's effects are very mild. I bought some at a market in Suva, Fiji and made it for native Fijians. They told me it was very strong and even then I barely noticed any effect.
If you are expecting a trip you will be disappointed.

Also, Kava and Betel nut are two completely different things.

Right RBCal~ I was just curious.

Had to chime in on the Kava story..
I was in Fiji for about a month years ago outside of Suva in this remote village where I was introduced to this dirty water called Kava and I got to tell you that between the Fijians and the Tonganese were up for days on this stuff, I witnessed many times that it got them all jacked up..for me it was a little numbing in the mouth and I felt a little kick but nothing like what it did to those crazy fun Fijians!
I miss those days..

TahitiTams~ and you haven't developed yet another new "energy" drink from the discovery?

I am caffeine sensitive and would be afraid to try it.

Reality is my drug, muah ha ha!

I used to be able to buy tea with kava, but you cannot get it in the continental US any more. It acted like a mild sedative - less strong than a couple of drinks. But then it was tea with kava, so who knows how much there is in a cup.

no, I doubt like heck the drug companies want to have that as competition..

but better a mild sedative than a strong laxative.. you know, where will you be when Di and Rhea strike??

Jetset..
The visual alone with those Tonganese people who are over 7 feet tall and built like a semi-truck dancing and acting like goofballs was enough reality for me..
I love when you are posting...you are a riot!