Kava Kava (Piper methysticum) root cut and sifted -Bulk.

All of our bulk herbs are organic when available, otherwise herbs are wildcrafted and responsibly sourced.

Available in either increments of 2 oz or save 20% when you purchase a pound.

SUGGESTED USE:

Make a decoction using 2 heaping teaspoons per cup of boiling water. Simmer 20 minutes on low. Strain. Dose: 1 cup of decoction, 3 times per day.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

None known.

EXTRA INFORMATION:

The genus name Piper derives from the Greek name for pepper, "peperi". The species name methysticum is thought to be Latin for "intoxicating." The common name Kava is Tongan for "bitter."

Kava Kava is native to the islands of the southern and western Pacific Ocean. It is a shrub that thrives at 500 to 1,000 feet above sea level in well-drained, sandy soil. The stems vary in color from green to black and have swollen nodules. The cordate leaves can grow to 8 inches in diameter. Flowering is rare. When flowers do appear, the male flowers are singular and axillary, while the female flowers form numerous spikes. There are more than twenty varieties of Kava Kava, with white and black grades having the greatest social and commercial significance. Growers prefer the black grades, as they provide a quicker return on their investment, being ready to harvest in about two and a half years. Users prefer white grades, which take about four years to mature but have stronger effects.

In the South Pacific, Kava Kava is used ceremoniously to celebrate marriages, births, deaths, and other types of beginnings and endings. It is often used to honor a guest or to enhance communication, such as in settling a dispute, counseling a couple, or sealing a business agreement. When Captain James Cook landed on Tahiti in 1768 on The Endeavor, the Tahitian natives offered him Kava Kava. Kava Kava is thought to have been cultivated for at least three thousand years in the South Pacific. It is said that the noble classes used Kava for pleasure, the priests for ceremony, and the working classes for relaxation. When European missionaries began to have strong influence in the area, many thousands of Kava plants were ripped out of the ground. Where this occurred, rates of alcoholism increased. Traditionally the root was chopped and chewed by young women and men, who then spit the juice into a bowl for others' consumption. Nowadays the root is pounded and grated and not chewed by anyone. When served a cup of Kava Kava tea, good manners dictate that one must chug the entire cup while the audience claps three times and shouts "Maca!," which means "empty." Kava Kava helps warm the emotions, and small amounts can produce a pleasant euphoric sensation. Kava Kava is fat-soluble, so when preparing it as a tea, add coconut milk to the steeping solution to help the infusion assimilate Kava's compounds.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.