Hawaiian strains of kava are gaining the reputation of being one of the richest available, with twice and sometimes triple the amount of kavalactones compared to many of the varieties found elsewhere in the world. There are several theories as to this phenomenon, but none have as yet been proven.

The homeland of kava kava is widely thought to be Vanuatu or another nearby South Pacific island; some researchers have even put forth Papua New Guinea as kava's original home. In any case, when ancient Polynesians migrated to the Hawaiian archipelago, they brought their favorite plants with them in their canoes. One theory is that when the Polynesians first brought their kava kava cultivars to the islands as their canoe plants, they chose the best of the best.

The isolated nature of Hawaii has possibly enabled it to maintain the kava kava in its original form. Theoretically, it never underwent the mutations that created new strains or chemotypes of kava kava, sometimes with a smaller content of kavalactones. Perhaps Hawaiian kava mutated into its own unique, kavalactone-rich strain. We will never know, as the variety found in Hawaii is not found anywhere else in the world.

Hawaiian kava goes by several names in its native land, including ava, sakau, and of course 'awa root. The kava root is central to Hawaiian culture and religious practice: the brew has traditionally been consumed at royal coronations, naming ceremonies for infants, and by priests as part of divination rituals. Kava is traditionally served to welcome visitors to a community and also as an offering to Hawaiian deities.

There are actually several varieties of Hawaiian kava that have been developed over the centuries. Our favorite, obviously, is the Mahakea strain we grow at Kona Kava Farm! Rich in kavalactones but with a surprisingly smooth, sweet taste, we believe our variety of Hawaiian kava is ideal for people who are just becoming acquainted with kava as well as for experienced "kavasseurs".

Other famous Hawaiian strains of kava include the Mo'i and Hiwa kava varieties. Mo'i is an ancient strain of kava that is particularly rich in the kavalactone kavain, and brews made from Mo'i were once restricted to royalty and priests; commoners were forbidden to drink Mo'i under threat of death!

Then there's Hiwa kava. Sometimes called "black awa", or "black sacred awa", the Hiwa variety produces a dark kava brew that is actually almost black in color. Hiwa kava is considered especially sacred and is the variety used by Hawaiian priests in divination ceremonies. Hiwa kava would also be offered to hula deities in exchange for knowledge and inspiration.

Another theory to explain the richness of Hawaiian kava is that Hawaii's kava kava is the first being cultivated with the implementation of the latest research and fertilization. The third and growing theory is higher exposure to sunlight and the lack of pesticides and herbicides will accentuate the growth as well as increase the levels of kavalactones.

Native Hawaiians have always had a strong sense of Aloha Aina, or "love of the land", reinforced by taboos put in place to prevent overfishing and encourage sustainable farming practices. When the demand for organically grown kava surged in the world market, Hawaii was uniquely positioned to answer the call. The result has been the revitalization of this ancient Hawaiian Mahakea kava strain. What a wonderful event!