Of the many life-expanding experiences I have encountered, participating in the Fiji Kava ceremony during the Fiji Culture Village visit is easily one of my favourites.
Kava, or Yaqona as the locals call it, is the traditional drink of Fiji. It’s made of the root of the native plant Kava and is believed to have sedative, anesthetic, and euphoriant properties.
Kava can be found practically anywhere in Fiji, from the actual root in the Fiji market to the abundance of Kava stalls on the roadside (shout out to Praveen Kava). You also wouldn’t miss variations “had too much Kava” joke daily while in Fiji, so much so that I decided to try it myself.
On our second day in Fiji, I got a small packet of Kava powder from one of the tourist shops at the Nadi City Centre. The same night, I mixed two spoons of the powder with hot water and served a mug each to Jik and me.
The concoction in the mug was murky brown with a strong herbal smell. It reminded me of Indonesian Jamu, but not as thick. I wondered for a split second whether I put too much or too little Kava powder – but eventually, it didn’t matter because I drank all of it – I even managed to get Jik to take a few sips.
The Taste of Fijian Kava
Kava tasted like… umm… well, it’s an acquired taste, like Japanese Matcha or Indonesian Jamu. It’s not comforting. It tasted like an alien liquid on my taste buds, and after a few more sips, I could feel my lips numbing – but it was too late to read whether it was one of the side effects of Fijian Kava. All I could remember was having an excellent night’s sleep soon after. I don’t know whether it’s the Kava or I was on an island holiday with my best friend with zero worries in the world – it could even be a mix of both.
Fiji Kava Ceremony
Our Fijian Kava immersion came full circle when we visited Fiji Culture Village, where we participated in Fiji Kava Ceremony. The ceremony started with a traditional Fijian dance, followed by a Kava drinking ceremony representing the village (by the village head) and us, the tourists (a teenager represented us). Then everyone was invited to drink the Kava as a welcome-to-the-village-you-are-one-of-us gesture.
There is a Kava ceremony ritual that one must follow. First, you sit down in front of the Kava host. Clap your hand once as a respect sign and say, “Bula!“. Next, receive and drink the Kava the host offers from the Kava bowl (you can get it as a souvenir) with two hands – preferably in one big gulp. Then, return the bowl with two hands, clap three times as a thank you, and, this time, say, “Maca!“. Soon after, we were invited to feast on Fijian Lovo lunch.
Participating in the Kava ceremony reminded me of the Daintree Smoking Ceremony, another welcome-you-are-one-us ritual that I participated in Cairns months before. I treasure the feeling of being a part of the community and nature very much and hope to experience more of the same in my travels.
We left the Fiji Culture Village with an insider tip from Nemani: Vanuatu Kava is known to be the strongest within the Pacific Island. I nudged Jik, “Maybe we can go to Vanuatu next year?“. It didn’t seem I convinced her, but I will, for the sake of our Kava adventures.
Kava Outside of Fiji
Speaking of continuing my Kava adventure outside of Fiji, I wanted to serve the remaining Kava I got from Fiji for our housewarming party, but Fafa vetoed the idea. Alas, I still want to introduce Kava to my friends here. Maybe this could be a reason for throwing another house party. What do you say, Fa?
If you are keen to microdose with Fijian Kava, a little Google of “Fiji Kava Noble Kava” will go a long way 😉
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My Dad is Fijian and my family did this ceremony for us the first time I went to Fiji. (I’m American.) He told me that its purpose is to introduce you to the ancestral spirits on the Island and basically say, “This person is okay, don’t mess with them.” According to other stories from my dad, you definitely do NOT want the spirits to mess with you! I thought you and your readers might find that interesting.
Thank you so much Jessica! Your story reminds me of the smoking ceremony we experienced while visiting the Daintree rainforest. I will add this interesting tidbits to the post.
It is good to know that participating in the Kava ceremony can make you feel like being part of the community. My friend is searching for a Kava shop. I should advise him to choose a shop that sources from the farms of Fiji.
This article has been incredibly helpful for me, much appreciated.