‘Ava

Ingredients

The ‘ava

• 60 gdried ‘ava root (Piper methysticum), lateral roots, pounded to a coarse meal
• 2 litrescool fresh water

Equipment

• 1tanoa fai’ava, a shallow wooden bowl on legs
• 1fau, a strainer of shredded hibiscus bast fibre, or a fine muslin cloth
• 1ipu tau ‘ava, a polished half coconut shell cup

Directions

1. Use the lateral roots, not the stems or leaves. In Samoa the root is dried in the sun, then pounded in a stone or steel mortar to a fibrous meal the texture of coarse bran.
2. Set the tanoa in front of the person preparing it, the aumaga, who sits cross-legged behind the bowl in full view of the guests. Everything about ‘ava preparation is public and formal.
3. Put the pounded root into the bowl and pour over the cool water. Never use hot water: heat destroys the kavalactones and makes the drink harsh.
4. Work the root by hand for 5 minutes, squeezing and kneading, until the water turns the colour of milky tea.
5. Lay the fau across the liquid and draw it through, gathering the fibre. Wring it out over the bowl, then flick the strainer outward and shake it clean with the wrist. Repeat 8 to 10 times, about 10 minutes in total.
6. The finished ‘ava should be silty brown, opaque, with no floating fibre and a peppery, earthy, slightly numbing smell.
7. Fill the coconut cup and pass it with two hands. At a formal ‘ava ceremony the tautu (cup bearer) serves in strict order of rank, announced by an orator.
8. The recipient spills a few drops on the ground or flicks them aside as a libation, says the phrase of respect (manuia or ia soifua), then drinks the cup in one and returns it. The cup circulates until every person has been served.

Technique

• ‘Ava is ceremony before it is refreshment. In Samoa the ‘ava ceremony marks the bestowal of matai titles, the reception of visitors and important village decisions; the order of serving is the map of the whole social hierarchy of that room and getting it wrong is a serious offence.
• The effect is a mild numbing of the lips and tongue, physical relaxation and mental clarity. It is not alcoholic and it is not a hallucinogen; the tingle at the lips is the sign of a well-made bowl.
• Health point worth stating plainly: heavy or long-term use, and especially root extracted with acetone or ethanol rather than water, has been linked to liver injury. Traditional cold-water preparation from noble varieties of the root is the safest form. Do not combine with alcohol or with medicines processed by the liver.
• Only noble cultivars of Piper methysticum are used for drinking. Tudei varieties give a heavy, unpleasant, long-lasting effect and are not used ceremonially.

Substitutions

• No fau? A fine muslin square or a nut-milk bag does the job, though it strains faster and leaves a thinner bowl.
• Instant ‘ava powders dissolve without kneading, but they taste flat and would never be served at a ceremony.
• No tanoa? Any wide, shallow wooden or ceramic bowl works for a home preparation; metal is avoided.

Variations

• Fijian yaqona and Tongan kava, the same plant with different bowl protocol and different strainers.
• A stronger everyday bowl made with 1.5 litres of water to the same weight of root, drunk in the evening at the faletele rather than at a ceremony.

History

The ‘ava ceremony orders Samoan rank and welcome, with a taupou mixing the bowl and cups served in strict sequence.

Frequently asked questions

What is ‘Ava?

‘Ava is a drink from Samoa: kava root infusion served in a coconut-shell cup at formal ceremony. The ‘ava ceremony orders Samoan rank and welcome, with a taupou mixing the bowl and cups served in strict sequence.

How long does ‘Ava take to make?

‘Ava takes 20 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes serves a circle of 8 to 12. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in ‘Ava?

Yes, within limits. No fau? A fine muslin square or a nut-milk bag does the job, though it strains faster and leaves a thinner bowl. Instant ‘ava powders dissolve without kneading, but they taste flat and would never be served at a ceremony. No tanoa? Any wide, shallow wooden or ceramic bowl works for a home preparation; metal is avoided.

What is the most important thing to get right in ‘Ava?

Put the pounded root into the bowl and pour over the cool water. Never use hot water: heat destroys the kavalactones and makes the drink harsh.