Aloha!
A few months ago I posted about a kava themed dinner party that I attended! We were treated to amazing delicacies such as kava-seared tuna and kava ice cream. So far, I haven’t been able to persuade my friend to give me those particular recipes to post up here for you all, but that dinner made me think that it might be nice to share some of my personal favorite kava recipes, as well as some of the great kava drink recipes we have up on our website!
Since it is so hard to obtain fresh kava root outside of the areas where the plant grows, I won’t post any recipes that use fresh root, although I have to say that the dishes I’ve been treated to that use fresh kava root are pretty amazing! Who would think that such a powerful, healing plant could also be such a culinary delicacy? Nevertheless, there are still plenty of amazing things you can do in your kitchen with kava paste or powder.
Our website has a really great variety of kava kava recipes, many of which have been submitted by our customers!! My personal favorite is the kava colada, which I found the recipe for in the book “Psyche Delicacies”, by Chris Kilham (a great resource for information regarding kava, coffee, chocolate, and other such delicacies, by the way!) The recipe uses coconut milk to absorb the kavalactones, and that,mixed with pineapple juice and a little bit of sweetener, makes for a really decadent drink to enjoy at the end of a long day of work or as “cocktails” before a dinner party!
You can find plenty of other recipes for kava drinks on our website. There is even a kava kava recipe for pizza sauce, submitted by one of our customers, which is really delicious! The spicy flavor of the kava makes for a tangy sauce that will definitely compliment your home-made pizza!
Finally, I want to share a recipe from Vegan Fusion for kava brownies! When I first found this recipe I was completely surprised, because I’d never really thought of putting kava in brownies! But this recipe is phenomenal, especially with a layer of coconut on top, and I feel like it really lets you enjoy the decadent side of my beloved kava! Here is the link to this amazing kava brownie recipe!
Of course, if I’m honest, my favorite way to consume kava is still the traditional way – I love the spicy, earthy flavor of kava kava, and drinking the traditional tea brings back so many memories of time spent relaxing with friends and family! Nevertheless, I’m really excited that people are recognizing the culinary potential of kava, and are using it in many different ways!
If you have any unique or delicious recipes for preparing kava that you haven’t seen here, I would love to hear about and add it to our website! (With your permission, of course). Please post any kava recipes in a comment here! I can’t wait to see what delicious ideas all of you have come up with for enjoying kava!
Aloha no,
Makaira
8 Comments
Leave a Reply
Friend or Follow us for exclusive discounts
Makaira's Kava Articles!
A Huge, Well Researched Kava Knowledge Resource!!
New to Kava Kava?
Try our starter pack
$22.99 Only!
1/4 lb. bag Mahakea Powdered Kava Root + Reusable Muslin Extraction Bag + 1 oz bag of Instant Cocoa Kava Drink (6) + 30% Kavalovetone Capsules + 10% Coupon on your next order.
Bella,
Very good questions! As far as the capsules; yes on some sort of milk: Coconut milk, dairy milk, or soy milk will help your body absorb the Kavalactones in the capsules. No need to drink too much, though, just a small amount is enough. The effects vary for each person. Capsules do have the smallest effect and can take the longest because of the fact that the capsules will have to slowly dissolve and they don’t dissolve all at once, slowly releasing the Kava inside.
As far as the Kava Brownies; yes, most of the Kavalactones will be destroyed by the baking process. But, Kava will add a bit of a spicy flavor, and there are actually 24 different substances in Kava that are responsible for its effects. Kavalactone is the one most folks are familiar with, but even after baking, the Kava in the recipe can and usually does still have some mild, but noticeable effects. For me, I would simply make a Kava drink and eat it with my brownies.
Hope this helps. Aloha no, Makaira
Just placed my first order this evening and i am looking forward to trying Kava. I have a few questions, first concerning capsules I am assuming that the effect of numbness in your mouth will be lost. But also wondering if like the powdered root the capsules should be taken with a type of milk to get the full effect? and how much time will it take before the effects will be felt?
Also while looking through recipes and ideas for using Kava I saw the Brownie recipe… I thought over heating Kava destroys the Kavalactones. Does this happen when baking it?
thanks for your help
Many Blessings Bella
Jarri,
VERY good question! Although Kava has a shelf life of over 2 years when kept in it’s original package, once it’s made into a drink, everything changes. First, anything you mix it with other than water will have the same shelf life in the fridge as if you didn’t mix Kava with it. So, any juices, milk, coconut milk, and so on, will only last a week or two. If you made a drink from only water, you will be able to keep the brew for about 2 weeks or so, but beyond that it starts to lose its freshness. We haven’t heard of anyone getting ill from a brew kept in the fridge for too long, but just like any other organic material in a container that’s mixed with water…something’s bound to start growing or getting moldy!
The best plan is to make only enough for about a week. That way you know your Kava will always be as fresh and strong as the first day you made it.
Hope this helps! Aloha no, Makaira
Hey I was just wondering, can a brew go bad? I made about a gallon a week ago, an just take a few sips before bed.
Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much), Curt! Perhaps you have some Hawaii in you since you seem to be a person after our own hearts! Yes, coconut milk can be a bit “heavy” and coconut water is an excellent way to bring out the goodness of Kava. If you want to get a little more “kick” from your “awa drink (since you’re not using any “fats” to help extract those Kavalactones), you might want to add a little soy lecithin. It doesn’t add any flavor, but it helps extractions when you’re only using things like water, juice, or coconut water.
Ahh, and you drink from the faux-coconut shell; very nice!.
Enjoy and aloha no,
Makaira
I really enjoy your kava and have tried several of the recipes on your website. However, I have acquired a taste for kava and no longer try to mask the flavor of it by adding fruit juice or other sweeteners.
My very simple recipe is as follows:
Put 12-16 ounces of coconut water in a blender (Note: coconut water is different from coconut milk and is available at most grocery stores)
Add three to four heaping tablespoons of kava root powder to the coconut water.
Blend on medium high for two minutes.
Strain in a muslim bag.
Drink and enjoy.
I have found that the coconut water really brings out the “good stuff” from powdered kava root and also adds a great taste to the final product. (I drink mine from a faux-coconut shell made from fine porcelain!).
Glad to hear you tried it!!! The kava does add a bit of a spicy flavor, but the overall effects are really nice, don’t you think!?
i just tried the kava brownie recipe ,, tasted funny , lol but it rocked !