| Further Reading | The 3 Steps To Straining Kava With A Coffee Filter |
When preparing kava at home it is vital that you take the necessary steps to ensure that you enjoy the drink properly. Most new kava drinkers will mess up preparing the kava and ruin their experience. This 3 step guide will give you all the information you need to start preparing kava at your home.
When preparing kava at home it is important that you follow these three steps. First, portion out the kava powder you are going to need. Second, mix the initial batch of kava and strain. Third, enjoy your new kava drink properly bula!
When done properly kava is a great drink that can be enjoyed responsibly. The first time you prepare kava it might be a bit harsh and bitter, however as you get better at making the drink it often becomes quite smooth.
Let’s jump right into the process ya, here are the 3 steps to preparing kava at home.
Step 1: Portion Out The Kava Powder you Are Going To Need
The first step to making kava at home is to portion out the kava you are going to need for the number of drinks you will serve.
Our general rule of thumb is that per cup of water you should use about 10 grams of kava. A cup will get you about 3 servings so if you are looking to serve a party of guests at your home then expect to mix about 3 grams per person. This is a good starter amount.
However, often we find that people will want to increase the amount of powder required. Kava veterans might want to increase the dosage to around 7 grams of kava powder per person. This will give a better experience and make the drink more potent but at the sacrifice of taste.
Generally, we find that giving the drink with a piece of fruit is best. Pineapple is a favorite in our local area and it appears to pair well. The guest will drink the kava and then eat the pineapple. This trick is great for newcomers to kava who don’t like the harsh taste.
Once you got your kava portion all planned out then it’s time to move on to the second step. Mixing the initial batch of kava.
Step 2: Mixing The Initial Batch Of Kava
Now that you have just the right amount of kava root portioned out for your guests or yourself it is time to make the raw drink. This is the second step of making kava at home, mixing the kava with the water.
Always use cold water for your kava drink! Never use hot water as this can destroy the kavalactones and make you sick. Some guides online state that you should use hot water around 110 Fahrenheit, do not do this.
What we are going to do is take the raw kava powder and mix it slowly into a large liquid container filled with room temperature water. For the best kava, you should be mixing the container by hand for around 20-30 minutes. Just keep a stirring man, trust me it works.
After about 30 minutes of stirring your large liquid container that is filled with kava powder and room temperature water, it is time to strain. Nobody likes the roots or powder in their end product so we here at Kava-Bula like to strain using either a piece of cotton, palm leaves, or sometimes a cotton shirt.
In a pinch, you can use a coffee filter. Sometimes when it’s raining outside and we’re at home we go this route as modern coffee filters can be ultra-fine which gives an incredibly smooth kava drink.
To properly strain the raw kava drink you should pour it through your filter of choice into another liquid container. Don’t worry, even though the roots or powder of kava is being caught by the filter the water should still be greenish/brownish in color.
At this point, you have finished the second step of mixing and straining out the kava powder. Time to clean up and move on to the third and best step. Enjoying the kava drink!
Step 3: Properly Drinking And Enjoying The Kava
When drinking kava at home this is the third and final step; drinking and enjoying the kava itself. While this seems like a rather intuitive step we are going to go over it because most first-time kava drinkers fail to drink the cultural drink properly.
Kava is a cultural drink that is designed to bring the local community together. When drinking kava with people they are friends and family for the drinking session. We help each other out, and here are some helpful tips for drinking kava for the first time.
For newer kava drinkers the taste is often bad and bitter. If it’s your friends or your first time drinking the drink then you should pair the kava drink with a piece of sweet fruit to offset the taste. We often see people using either strawberries or pineapples as a garnish on the beverage. This can ease the overall taste for a newer kava drinker.
You can also mix your kava with other drinks to help with the taste. Orange juice, mixed berries, or grape juice are all great alternatives. Here a mixture of 3/4th kava and 1/4th juice often helps with the taste.
If the kava is still too bitter for the newer guys then try filtering it twice. This should capture a majority of the bad taste and provide a very smooth earthy flavor. If I know a group of newer people is going to be at my home enjoying kava then I will make 2 batches, 1 for the normal kava drinkers and 1 for the newer guys.
Remember that when we drink kava we always say “bula.” This word comes from the homeland and it means ‘to the benefit of friends and community.’ Kava is a social and cultural drink that is designed to bring unity to a community, it is important to understand its ‘roots’ so that you can get the original kava experience.
Conclusion
There you have the 3 steps to preparing kava at home.
As always it is important to enjoy your kava responsibly yeah. Make sure you understand that this drink is a cultural affair where the drinking sessions last for several hours so that people can socialize and get to know each other. Respect the drink and it will respect you.
As always, bula!
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