Australians are developing a taste for kava

Australians are developing a taste for kava and enjoying the culture around it of the Fijians who introduced it to them.

Since the Australian Government allowed the commercial importation of kava from 1 January 2022, kava is now readily available for those wishing to have a mix.

Bannockburn, Victoria resident, Tyson Cawood, 39, enjoys swiping kava with his predominately Fijian mates including other Wantok friends.

“When drinking with the Fijians, I like the culture and the traditional way they serve and respect kava. Personally, it’s easy to drink, and I like the aftertaste, spin the poison! The fact that its non-alcoholic is good. Of my mates who have tried it, they don’t like it,” he said. Kava has an acquired taste.

Melbourne resident, Brendan O’Keefe said kava was a great alcohol alternative when watching a great game. 

“Kava has been a blessing in my world, helping me with winding down at the end of a hard day and as an alcohol alternative in social settings," Mr. O’Keefe said.

He also was glad that the Australian Government had approved the sale of kava once again in the country.

"I immediately began researching and trying many of the Kava blends and single cultivars and landed on Lami Kava as my go-to Kava. Lami Kava is the OFFICIAL KAVA OF THE SWIRE SHIPPING FIJIAN DRUA.

Former Fiji resident now residing in Sydney, Aneesh Singh explained he was born in Fiji and respected the Fijian traditional drink of kava, as well as the culture, and enjoyed drinking it in harmony.

“A Kava ceremony brings people together and with lots of Happiness. The saying goes that the Family that Drinks and Eats together is the happiest of the most.

It is a soothing drink full of flavor. Once you build a likeness toward it. Lami Kava got a tick, number one.”

For Fijians and the Pacific, kava is an intricate part of the culture. Certainly, it is a usual sight to see a group of people in a social setting sitting around a basin of the mocha-like liquid; drinking it in bowls made from hand-smoothened coconut shells. It is a common sight when they enjoy a game of rugby. Kava is made and mixed from the grounded plant root of the pepper family, placed inside a cloth that acts like a filter, and submerged in a basin of water. The traditional drink is also used to help resolve differences within families and communities.

As alluded to, kava may be a better alternative to alcohol given it helps the body relax after a long hard day at work or after a hard week. HiLands Food, being a responsible distributor of Lami Kava in Australia advises its customers to drink kava in moderation.