What is Kava?

What Is Kava? A Guide to the Traditional Pacific Beverage

If you've never visited a kava bar before, your first question is probably a simple one: What exactly is kava?

Kava is a traditional beverage made from Piper methysticum, a plant of the pepper family cultivated throughout parts of the Pacific Islands. Kava has a long history in Pacific Island communities, where traditions surrounding its preparation and use have developed over generations.

Today, kava has traveled far beyond the Pacific. Kava bars can now be found throughout the United States—including Florida, where a substantial kava-bar culture has developed.

At Dharma Kava & Coffee in Largo, Florida, we've been serving kava since opening our doors in 2014. Whether you're curious about the history behind the drink, wondering what a “shell” is, or thinking about visiting a kava bar for the first time, here's a good place to start.

Where Does Kava Come From?

Kava comes from the Pacific Islands and has particularly deep cultural histories in places including Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and other Pacific Island communities.

The plant is known scientifically as Piper methysticum. Traditional kava beverages are prepared using the underground portions of the plant rather than its leaves. The plant material is processed and combined with water to create the distinctive earthy beverage known broadly as kava.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations / Codex Alimentarius, traditional kava is prepared as a water-based beverage from appropriate portions of Piper methysticum. International food-standard work concerning kava also recognizes the beverage's longstanding importance to Pacific Island communities.

Different cultures have developed their own traditions surrounding kava cultivation, preparation, serving, and consumption. Names for kava vary as well. Depending on where you are in the Pacific, you may encounter names including yaqona, 'awa, ava, and sakau.

These traditions aren't interchangeable, and there isn't one universal “Pacific kava ceremony.” Understanding those differences is part of understanding kava itself.

Kava Is More Than Just a Drink

Throughout the Pacific, kava has historically held important social, cultural, political, and ceremonial roles.

Depending on the culture and occasion, kava may be associated with welcoming guests, community gatherings, ceremonies, important discussions, diplomacy, and other forms of social interaction.

Research into Fijian Yaqona cultural traditions, for example, documents extensive traditions and social protocols surrounding yaqona in Fiji. Other Pacific societies have their own histories and customs surrounding the beverage.

For someone accustomed to thinking of beverages primarily as products, this context is important: kava is part of living cultural traditions that long predate the modern American kava bar.

Modern kava bars are not replicas of Pacific ceremonies, nor should they pretend to be. But the social character surrounding kava helps explain something visitors often notice about American kava bars:

People tend to stay awhile.

Guests sit together. They talk. Regulars get to know newcomers. People play games, study, work, attend events, and meet people they might not otherwise encounter.

The environment has changed considerably, but gathering around kava remains central to modern kava-bar culture.

What Does Kava Taste Like?

There's really no getting around this one:

Kava tastes earthy.

Traditional kava generally has a distinctive root-forward flavor. Depending on the variety, preparation, and serving style, people may describe it as earthy, peppery, woody, bitter, or slightly grassy.

It isn't supposed to taste like a fruit smoothie or sweetened tea.

For many regular kava drinkers, that unmistakable flavor simply becomes part of the experience.

If you're trying traditional kava for the first time and your immediate reaction is:

“Well, that's different.”

Don't worry. You're certainly not the first.

What Is a “Shell” of Kava?

Spend enough time around a kava bar and you'll eventually hear someone order a shell.

A shell is a traditional term commonly used to describe a serving of kava. The terminology is associated with the use of coconut-shell drinking vessels in Pacific kava traditions.

Modern kava bars may use different vessels, serving sizes, and preparation methods, but “shell” remains firmly embedded in kava-bar vocabulary.

So if someone at Dharma asks whether it's your first shell, they're not offering you seafood.

How Is Traditional Kava Made?

Exact preparation methods differ between cultures, traditions, products, and establishments.

At its most basic, traditional kava preparation involves processing suitable underground portions of the Piper methysticum plant and extracting them into water. The plant material is then separated from the liquid before serving.

The Codex Alimentarius regional standard for kava products provides additional information about traditional kava products and preparation for readers interested in the technical and international food-standard side of the beverage.

Historical preparation techniques have varied throughout the Pacific, while modern kava bars have developed methods suited to contemporary food-service environments.

At Dharma, we've prepared and served kava since 2014. Over more than a decade of operation, we've developed our own procedures for producing fresh, consistent batches for our guests.

Like any established food-and-beverage business, some details of our internal preparation and sourcing procedures are proprietary. What matters to the person sitting at our bar is much simpler:

We take the preparation of our kava seriously.

If you'd like to see what we're currently serving, visit our Kava & Botanical Tea Menu.

What Is a Kava Bar?

A modern kava bar is a social establishment centered around serving kava, often alongside other non-alcoholic beverages.

Beyond that, no two kava bars are exactly alike.

Some place a strong emphasis on kava itself. Others have evolved into cafés, tea houses, lounges, music venues, community gathering spaces—or combinations of several of these.

Dharma has evolved into something of a hybrid.

We're a kava bar, coffee shop, tea house, and community lounge under one roof.

Alongside kava, Dharma serves locally roasted coffee and espresso, botanical beverages, traditional and herbal teas, matcha, and other non-alcoholic drinks.

That means you don't have to drink kava to visit a kava bar—and you certainly don't have to drink kava to hang out at Dharma.

Kava Bar Culture in Florida

Florida has developed a particularly visible kava-bar community, especially in the Tampa Bay and South Florida regions.

Dharma became part of that story when we opened in Largo on November 3, 2014, becoming the first kava bar in the Largo and Mid-Pinellas area.

We've since had the unusual opportunity to watch the local kava scene evolve from inside it.

When Dharma opened, kava bars were still unfamiliar to many Tampa Bay residents. In the years since, the region has seen substantial growth in kava bars and other botanical beverage establishments.

That's not something we're observing from search results or historical archives.

We were here for it.

Our own business has evolved along with the community. What began as Dharma Kava Lounge has grown into today's Dharma Kava & Coffee, incorporating a full coffee and espresso program while retaining the kava-bar and community-lounge identity we've built since 2014.

You can read more about that history on our About Dharma Kava & Coffee page.

Can I Visit a Kava Bar If I've Never Tried Kava?

Absolutely.

You don't need to understand kava terminology, know the menu, or figure out what you're “supposed” to order before walking through the door.

If it's your first visit to Dharma, just tell your kavatender you've never tried kava before. We're happy to explain what we serve and answer questions about our menu.

And if you decide kava isn't what you're looking for, that's completely fine too.

Grab an espresso, latte, tea, or another drink and make yourself comfortable.

You don't need to be a kava drinker to be part of the room.

More Than a Kava Bar

One of the interesting developments in American kava-bar culture is the way many of these businesses have become community gathering places.

At Dharma, we've watched that happen firsthand.

Guests come in to meet friends, work remotely, study, play games, attend events, listen to music, or simply spend some time somewhere other than home or work.

Our Largo lounge includes two bars, couches and lounge areas, tables and high-tops, a large stage, and free secure gigabit Wi-Fi. We're open from morning until late at night, so the atmosphere naturally changes throughout the day.

If you're wondering about Wi-Fi, parking, age requirements, bringing your dog, outside food, or visiting with someone who doesn't drink kava, we've put those answers in our Frequently Asked Questions.

You can also see what's happening around the lounge on our Events at Dharma page.

Learning About Kava Responsibly

Kava has a long and complex history, and no single blog article can adequately represent every Pacific culture or tradition associated with it.

We encourage curious readers to go beyond commercial descriptions of kava and learn about the communities from which these traditions originate.

Whenever possible, look for material from Pacific institutions, cultural organizations, researchers working directly with Pacific communities, international food and agricultural organizations, and other primary or scholarly sources.

We've included several starting points below.

Sources & Further Reading

Want to learn more about kava's history, preparation, and cultural traditions? These resources provide additional information from international organizations and researchers with direct connections to the Pacific.

Codex Alimentarius (FAO/WHO) — Regional Standard for Kava Products for Use as a Beverage When Mixed with WaterThe official regional food standard for kava products, including definitions of traditional kava products, the parts of Piper methysticum used in their production, and preparation with water.

Codex Alimentarius (FAO/WHO) — Codex Approves Regional Standard for Kava ProductsA more accessible introduction to the Codex kava standard and the cultural and economic importance of kava to Pacific Island communities.

University of the South Pacific — Forging Fijian Camaraderie: The Cultural Significance and Social Uses of Kava (Yaqona)Research examining the traditions, protocols, symbolism, and social significance surrounding yaqona within Fijian communities.

University of the South Pacific — Potent Roots and the Origin of KavaResearch exploring the botanical and linguistic evidence surrounding kava's origins, domestication, and spread throughout the Pacific.

About Our Sources

Kava traditions vary considerably across Pacific cultures. We've tried to distinguish general background information from traditions specific to individual communities rather than presenting Pacific kava culture as a single, uniform tradition.

As we continue developing our educational resources, we'll update this page when newer or more authoritative primary, scholarly, or Pacific-based sources become available.

Curious? Come Say Hello.

Reading about kava can explain its history, preparation, and terminology.

The easiest way to understand what a modern American kava bar is like, however, is simply to visit one.

Dharma Kava & Coffee has been serving the Largo and greater Tampa Bay community since 2014, and first-time visitors are always welcome.

Whether you're interested in trying your first shell of kava, grabbing a locally roasted espresso, looking for somewhere to study, or meeting up with friends, you're welcome to make yourself at home.

Dharma Kava & Coffee 13328 66th Street NLargo, Florida 33773

Open daily: 8:30 AM–12:30 AM

View Our Menu · Read Our FAQ · Our Story · Upcoming Events