Beginners Guide to Kava

Contents:
I. Introduction
II. The Plant
III. The Experience
IV. The Brew
V. Conclusion
VI. Additional Resources
VII. Footnotes

I. Introduction
Kava, awa, yaqona. Whatever you call it, it's one of the most popular herbs available from entheogenic suppliers today. Used by Pacific Island tribes for centuries, it is becoming more and more common in Western societies with the recent upsurge in ethnobotanical interest.

A social lubricant similar to alcohol, as well as an anxiolytic, antibiotic, and analgesic, kava has seen use recreationally, medicinally, as a gesture of goodwill, and as a tool to end conflicts. It is enjoyed by tribes from Hawaii to Vanuatu, to Fiji and the Micronesian island empires. It's most common use is that of recreational inebriant, and is enjoyed best in a social atmosphere.

This guide will hopefully serve as an introductory primer for everyone interested in kava. It will deal only with kava made from the dried roots of the kava plant. Commercially available extracts will not be discussed, as they are absolutely horrible sources of kava. Let me take a quick moment to explain why.

A young Piper methysticum plant growing in a pot.

Credit: Wikipedia user "Wowbobwow12"

Copyright: Wowbobwow12, released under the GNU Free Documentation License