Buy Vanuatu Kava in Australia
Vanuatu Kava Cultivars
Before you buy Vanuatu kava in Australia, here are some interesting facts for you. Firstly, Vanuatu has the most varieties of kava of all kava-growing countries in the world. In fact, there are over 100 different varieties of kava plants in Vanuatu alone!
Kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant that grows in Vanuatu and other parts of the Pacific. It’s been used for centuries as a drink, medicine and ceremonial offering. The roots of the kava plant contain chemicals called kavalactones, which have a wide range of benefits when consumed.
The roots are traditionally chewed but can also be ground into a powder or made into a tea or tincture. Kava has been used for pain relief, anxiety and sleep problems. What’s more, there are many other potential health benefits including reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure and helping people with diabetes manage their symptoms better.
Of the over 100 varieties, Vanuatu kava can normally be split into two different types – Noble varieties and Vanuatu Tu-Dei are quite different from each other.
Vanuatu noble varieties are named for their superior taste and aroma. They have a milder, sweeter flavor than other kava varieties, with a more pleasant after-taste that is often compared to chocolate or coconut. These cultivars are grown in the lush volcanic soils of Vanuatu (a small island nation in the South Pacific), where they thrive in the tropical climate.
Vanuatu Tu-dei varieties are named for their high levels of kavalactones (the active compounds in kava). These cultivars are are often used as an alternative to prescription medications for anxiety, insomnia, and even cancer treatment side effects like nausea or pain relief. However, they are not considered safe for drinking in the same way that noble kava varieties are.
It should be noted that under the Australian governments, phase 2 kava trial, there is no testing or distinction between Noble kava and Tudei kava. It is therefore important when you buy Vanuatu kava in Australia, to be sure that the vendor has certification stating their product is Vanuatu noble kava.
Vanuatu Kava Products
It is important to note that under the Australian governments phase 2 trial, only kava powder and aqueous kava extracts can be imported and sold. If this changes, to allow for extract and derivative products to be imported, this bodes well for accessing Vanuatu kava in different forms. Fiji has a significantly larger kava industry than Vanuatu. However, Vanuatu has been on the cutting edge of developing value-added kava products. Various forms of instant kava have all originated from Vanuatu, as well as aqueous extract used in food and beverage products.
Where to buy Vanuatu Kava in Australia.
Australia Kava Shop are one of the few vendors that claim to only stock Vanuatu noble variety kava. Their Vanuatu kava is microbial tested domestically before importation. It is also tested by the Vanuatu Agriculture Department for noble variety.
So, if you want to buy Vanuatu kava, they stock the following range of Vanuatu kava products:
Borogu
Borogu Kava is a popular kava variety in Vanuatu. It’s grown primarily in the PENAMA, SHEFA and SANMA provinces of Vanuatu and is easily the most popular of all Vanuatu kavas. This is largely because of its quicker yield time and size. That is, growers get more bang for their buck when they grow Borogu, so they grow a lot of it.
Borogu is also an excellent all-round kava, as it lands somewhere between being heavy and heady: you’ll get a nice euphoric buzz coupled with a relaxing body effect from drinking it.
Melo Melo
Melo Melo Kava – From PENAMA. Straight from Pentecost Island in Vanuatu. Australia Kava Shop now stock the world-famous Melo Melo. Melo Melo is the king of the heady kava cultivars. For years it was kept in-house because of its small yield. In fact, demand for kava is so high that the kava farmers on Pentecost Island are growing it regularly for export. That means that Australians can enjoy Melo Melo Kava right here at home!
Melo Melo is so good that Australia Kava Shop buy it straight from the source and not just from their usual suppliers. It’s easy to see why people love it so much; its impressive size and super smooth texture make for an amazing experience every time. If you’ve never tried Melo before then we recommend starting with this one as it’s a real crowd-pleaser!
Kelai Kava
Keli Kava is a boutique kava cultivar that has similar heady qualities to Melo Melo. Keli Kava is only found on Epi Island and a few of the surrounding Shepherd Islands, which means that it isn’t widely available.
Keli Kava is a small yield kava variety; much like Melo Melo, it was kept in-house until a decade ago. A lucky US kava importer visited Epi Island and fell in love with Keli Kava, placing an order for some. Kelai has rapidly boomed since then to become the main kava variety grown on Epi and we can now source it in Australia!
Instant Kava
Australia Kava Shop’s Instant Kava is made from the fresh juice of Borogu and Palarusal kava plants, which is shipped to their partners facility on Santo Island. It is then cleaned, and the kava is made into a juice under strict HACCP conditions. It is then dried in evaporators to form a powder. The powder is then milled into a soluble powder ready to drink!
When you buy instant kava, it’s as simple as putting a half teaspoon in a shaker or in your glass of water, stirring for 10 seconds and drinking! Australia Kava Shop’s Instant kava is made using an aqueous extract process, not yucky alcohol, or chemical extraction. It is soluble in water with only the same effort as stirring a coffee required!
Unlike other supposed instant kavas (which are just alcohol extracts), ours is made from green kava juice of Borogu and Palarusal kava plants from Santo Island. Kava farmers bring fresh produce from the islands to the processing facility. It is then soaked, scrubbed, hosed and squeezed. The resulting juice is then dried out in evaporators to form a powder After which it is then milled into a soluble powder ready to drink!