Instant Kava - Oils ain't Oils
G'day everyone, Kava Hounds first post on Tumblr and damn I'm excited to get my teeth into all thing Kava in Australia!
If you’re like me and enjoy a good kava session but sometimes can’t be bothered with the whole preparation process, Instant kava is an easy go to option. There are a couple of versions available in Australia and I want to have a chat about the pros and cons of both.
Lets Kick off with the dehydrated Green juice Instant Kava variety. There are only a couple of stockists of this in Oz. The strongest appears to be at Australia Kava Shop . They -pump it pretty hard on their socials i.e.:
If you have ever drunk fresh green Vanuatu kava, then this stuff is about as close as you can get. You only need a level teaspoon, toss it in a half full glass and down the hatch!
The great thing about this is that for kava newbies, you can blend it in with cordial, shakes and stuff to tone down the taste. But lets get real here, toughen up and TAKE YOUR MEDICINE I say!
I have a mate of mine (ex Vanuatu resident) that swears by this stuff. My experience with it is that it delivers as claimed and one serve hits that nice clam tone and a few more and you are right in the thick of thing! With the legit 4.5 star reviews on it, it makes for a compelling case.
The draw back I guess is the price. However when you bust out your trusty kava calculator its only about 30 cents extra per serve on tradition.
OK Lets cover the other Instant Kava type on the market - The Nano micronized version. You can see this on the shelves at Coles and its made by the Fiji Kava brand.
This stuff is not made from dehydrated Green Juice. instead it appears that they nuclear micronize the stuff down to super fine powder. The idea being that the if the granules are small enough they are soluble. The problem here is that its not.
For sure some of the good stuff (kava lactones) get into the water when you stir it, but probably not enough. Mates of mine that have tried it reckon you get a mild buzz from it. I guess in that regards it sits OK with crew used to drinking from a Fiji kava culture base (i.e. weak kava over a long period of time). However if you are after the full on kava hit, this ain't what you should be chasing.
I guess the redeeming benefit of the micronized stuff is that it is cheap. However the bang for buck is pretty low. Also there are some reports on their review that it makes people stomach a little upset. This would make sense as a you are pretty much digesting super fine root which for those with soft guts is going to have them squirming a little.
OK so to wrap it up - if you are chasing Instant Kava that has a Vanuatu strong effect, go for the green juice dehydrated stuff from Australia Kava Shop. If you are more about the much milder Fiji effect and are price conscious the Fiji Kava stuff might be a fit. Just don't come her and complain if you're tummy rumbles afterwards.
OK more from the Kava Hound soon - looking forward to covering any and all thing Kava in Oz!
*Update to original post. If you are after Instant kava recipes, there are loads out there. I have tried some of these and they are mostly delicious!