Kava: The Root of Happiness

Kava is sometimes called “nature’s Xanax” and is considered the root of happiness. When you drink it, it gives you some of the same effects as drinking liquid - a feeling of lightness, happiness, chattiness; you want to hang out and be social. I have found it doesn’t take much to observe an effect, but some recipes I’ve found online seems to call for quite a bit… I’ll post some recipes I’ve found, and I’ll also post the recipes I have personally used. When I launched Mr Farmacist, we had an opening party where I made kava/lime/honey/water concoction; I boiled a one ounce package in 1.5 liters of water. I juiced two dozen limes; I added honey to taste. This made two pitchers, and we all had a great time sampling it.

I’ve read in some recipes to NOT boil it, that it reduces its effectiveness; other recipes say to boil it and strain it to get the kavalactones activated further. You’ll have to try both to see what works for you/what you think.

I made chocolate kava shakes for another party in which I DIDN’T boil the kava powder. I mixed it in. This is the recipe I followed:
https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/kava-shake-14098

I can tell you that I felt more effects drinking the kava drink I made from boiling it. Your mouth and tongue can go numb when you’re drinking it, btw... Remember that it has to get into your system, so give it a bit, see how you feel after 30 minutes to an hour.

While looking for other kava recipes to post, I found this one that looks interesting. I’ll try it next:
https://bodycompassdiscovery.com/recipe/kava-power-energy-balls/

I also found this one, that looks like a great place for beginners to start:
You will need crushed ice, a banana, instant kava powder, honey and coconut milk or almond milk. Place about half a cup of ice into a blender. Add a teaspoon of instant kava powder, a whole banana, and a couple of tablespoons of honey for sweetening. Pour your choice of milk on top of the ingredients.

I’m a fan of kava. I tell people it can be drank instead of booze (just don’t drink them together, is what I’ve read…) Here is more information about that and kava safety:
https://kalmwithkava.com/kava-safety/

Here’s link on traditional kava drinking:
https://travelfoodatlas.com/authentic-pacific-kava-drink-recipe

Best recipes I’ve found so far:
https://www.konakavafarm.com/recipes.html