Kava Waka Powder – Authentic, Noble Kava Root Powder from Fiji – Premium, Responsibly Sourced, 16 Oz

I've ordered this particular kava three times now. As a kava drinker on a budget, this is easily my new go to variety. A few tablespoons packs quite the punch for me. If you're new to the kava scene, be sure to take the time to research its preparation and usage.My strong grog recipe:The active component in kava is kavalactone, which dissolves best in fats. This means that to increase the potency of your grog, it's important to mix some form of fat with your water. Popular choices include coconut milk, whole milk, and soy lecithin. I use a splash of whole milk in mine because I always have some on hand.Kava to liquid ratio:A ratio of 1 part kava to 3 or 4 parts liquid works best. Too little liquid and the grog becomes too thick. Too much liquid and the effects may diminish. The recipe below uses 3-4 tablespoons of powdered kava and about 8 ounces of liquid, which is a nice starting point for new users.First wash:Begin by putting a strainer bag (milk nut bag, cheesecloth, or even pantyhose!) ainto a medium to large sized bowl. I bought a milk nut bag here which works really well.In a microwavable container, heat your water/milk mixture (start with 7-8 ounces) until scalding (not boiling). Add an appropriate amount of kava to the mixture (again, 3-4 tablespoons is a good starting point if you're new to this). Stir thoroughly until partially blended and then pour the warm mixture into your strainer bag. Be sure to scrape out every bit.Next (using latex gloves, which are optional), knead, massage, and squeeze the kava through the bag to extract the maximum amount of kavalactones into your mixture. I usually do this while watching something on my computer. After at least 10 minutes of kneading, the kava will begin to feel more coarse. At this point, carefully squeeze out every bit of remaining liquid from the bag into the bowl. The mixture will look like milky coffee.Second wash:This will be weaker, but I like to get all the kavalactones from my kava that I reasonably can. Empty the kava remains from your strainer bag into a small pot on the stove (some kava will remain stuck to the sides of the bag - this is okay). On your countertop, put the emptied bag into a second bowl and drop an ice cube inside it.Add just enough water to the pot to make a thick paste of the kava. Add a splash of milk as well. The key is to add as little liquid as possible. Heat this mixture slowly, stirring constantly, until you see tiny bubbles beginning to form around the edges. Quickly remove from heat and pour into your strainer bag (in the second bowl). The ice cube will help to cool it. Knead the kava some more until whatever is left in the strainer bag is quite coarse. Then squeeze out the bag again into the second bowl. You may now discard the kava remains (the maca) and rinse out your bag for next time.Final mixture:While some people prefer to drink the second, weaker wash separately from the first, I like to mix them so that I have a consistently strong grog each time. So, stir your second wash and pour it into your first wash, scraping all the liquid out carefully. Then, stir the combined mixture and pour it into a large mug or bottle, again scraping all the liquid out carefully. Refrigerate until use.Drinking:Kava is best consumed chilled and on an empty stomach. This means in order to feel its full effects, you should wait at least 3+ hours after your last meal before drinking.This lead me to do some research! As a basic guideline, the following proteins take approximately this long to leave your stomach: fish, 30 minutes to 1 hour +; chicken, 2 + hours; beef, 3-4 + hours, pork, 4-5 + hours. The larger the meal, the longer it takes.I like mixing a squirt of chocolate syrup into my kava before drinking to help make it slightly more palatable. Other people use chasers. You can experiment to figure out what works best for you.When kava time arrives, stir your grog thoroughly and try gulping down at least 1/4 of it in one go, tasting as little as possible (yuck!). Kava is NOT for sipping. Each drink or dose is referred to as a "shell" and the exact amount will vary from person to person. The effects will take up to 15+ minutes to fully kick in, so wait at least that long before drinking more.The relaxing, somewhat euphoric experience should last for a few hours. I've found that spacing out my shells can really help to extend the effects for longer.Reverse tolerance:The effects of kava actually become more profound over time. Some people feel nothing, or nearly nothing, the first time they try it and may need to drink more to start feeling something. Other people begin to feel its effects right away. Everyone reacts differently. Over time, with more usage, the euphoric effects increase in strength while the amount of kava required diminishes.Other advice:- This should go without saying, but don't mix kava and alcohol.- Kava doesn't play well with many prescription medications. When in doubt about any particular medication, you can find charts online that show what is and isn't safe.- Kava is a diuretic, so drink lots of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration.I hope this was helpful! Å'kålè ma'luna! (Cheers!)

Used it a many times and it's good! Shared it with some friends and it worked for them too. Read a lot of reviews saying it did nothing.... pretty sure they aren't preparing it properly, aren't making it strong enough, aren't doing it on an empty stomach or a combination of all 3. The instructions on the bag are almost useless which may be misleading people into bad experiences. Do some research on the traditional method of preparation.Kava is not water soluble; you can't just soak it or steep it. You have to knead it for at LEAST 10 min in water. You're making an suspension not a solution. Meaning the kavalactones won't dissolve in the water; they float (suspend) in it. To release the kavalactones you must kneed them out into the water.*** Quick an dirty instructions: ***- Get a mixing bowl, a nut milk bag, 1 tablespoon, 1/4 measuring cup, and a glass to drink from- Make sure your stomach is empty so stop eating anything like 4 hours prior- Do ***NOT*** mix alcohol with this!!! Wait at least 24 hours to consume alcoholBasically it's a 1 to 4 ratio of kava to water. So 4 HEAPING tablespoons to 4 tablespoons of water (or 1/4 cup water). If you want to do 4 heaping tblsp of kava then you need four 1/4 cups water (or 1 cup) This would be a pretty mild mix and a good starting point to see if you want more or less kava to water.Put 4 *heaping* table spoons of kava into the nut milk bag. Dump in four 1/4 cups of lukewarm water (not hot!) into your mixing blow. Dip the end of the nut milk bag, which has the kava, into the water and squeeze the heck out of it for 10 - 15 minutes. Work it around, smush it in different places, lift it and wring it out then put it back in and keep kneading the full 10-15 min. After you've worked it for almost 15 min then wring it out really good one last time and set that aside (you can use it one more time for a less potent grog!)Pour your fresh kava suspension (grog) into a glass, hold your nose and drink it down! Don't sip it or take any longer than necessary to get it down. Do not smell it because it doesn't smell good and really won't encourage you to drink. It's pretty much like drinking a mud puddle. Might want a chaser; some pure water works or Pepsi MAX is a good one. Nothing heavy or full of sugar; something light to wash it down. While that's kicking pour another cup of water into your mixing bowl and knead another batch up. By the time that's read you should be feeling it. Drink down this second glass and let it all settle for a good 15 to 30 minutes.You may get some nausea and that's totally normal (I actually get pretty intense nausea for like 10-15 min but my body is very sensitive). The more sediment you drink the more you may feel icky but that's the good stuff there so drink it up! Maybe your thinking "well that's stupid.. it makes me feel nauseous?!" ... yeah and so does alcohol ! Think of it this way... if you drink enough alcohol to get really drunk you get nauseous and likely a wicked hangover. With kava you get a little nauseous right away, it passes in like 10 minutes and you're good to go ... with no hangover. Plus you don't loose your motor-skills, slur your speech, or become a monsterThe man who drinks kava is still a man, but the man who drinks liquors becomes a beast.Traditional Hawaiian proverbSimilar to a lot of experiences like this, the set and setting are important. I recommend a super chill setting with a few close friends, some smooth/chill music, and conversation. If you're by yourself then strap on some head phones or do some meditation to really get the full effect.To dial in the potency to your preference then you adjust the kava to water ratio or make more batches of the same potency. If you didn't get nauseous then you can significantly increase the kava to water ratio; try 2 or 3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup water. If that 1:4 ratio made you nauseous then make 4 batches of them so you have time to recover in between. The reason I keep using 1/4 cup is to fine tune your ratios. The more kava you add you may need a little more water so you're not making it so thick you can't drink it. It's more art than science; play around with it ... do more research ... you'll figure it out.Kava is a diuretic so be sure you are SLAMMING fluids for the rest of the day and the next day. So to avoid any ishy effects the next day stay very hydrated and you'll feel fine after it wears off and into the next day.Please do some more of your own research; I've just given some very basic guidance here for this specific blend. There's all kinds of different blends, types, methods.... you can make more elaborate creations to change the taste and potency... Welcome to the world of kava!

Happy with my purchase. I first bought their lawnena kava and enjoyed it - so I thought I'd try this. I could tell the difference halfway through my first cup - the effect of the waka kava seemed twice as strong as the lawena with the same amount (2 tbsp). I use the Alu Ball to make a cup after work. I fill the shaker halfway with room temp water, fill the ball with 2tbsp kava powder, and shake for 30 seconds. The effects are a perfect medium relaxation - similar to a buzz you would expect from 1-2 beers but with a clear(er) mind. I've also noticed that on kava - my dreams are usually very vivid and not always pleasant. Still - I wake up feeling like I've had a deep sleep. I think kava is my new favorite night cap.UPDATE: warning to everyone - do not overdue on kava. After a few weeks of taking this brand of kava once to twice a day (with the same 2tbs per dose) I developed a rash on my face, arms, torso and upper thighs. My face looked like I had rosacea - and the pain was similar to a bad sunburn, especially on my face. I've been abstaining until the rash goes away fully. 3 days in without taking it and the rash has mostly subsided around my body with still a little redness in my face. The onset of the rash was sudden. After 3 weeks of use with no problems (aside from occasional digestive discomfort shortly after consuming) - i woke up one day with the rash- which got worse as the day progressed. Accompanying it also was dry/bloodshot eyes for the first day. Although this was an unpleasant reaction - I plan on experimenting with less frequent / smaller doses. If i get the rash again - I will never touch this stuff again.