How to Make Kava Tea: A Guide for Beginners

Kava is an herb used to make a traditional Pacific islander drink that has become popular around the world in recent years. Kava has mild, relaxing properties make it a great stress reliever and social beverage — as long as you know how to make kava tea properly. Kava can taste terrible if not prepared correctly, with bitter, medicinal flavors coming through if you fail to follow the right steps. This article covers everything you need to know about making kava tea at home.

 

What is Kava Tea?

Kava tea is an herbal beverage made from the roots of the kava plant. The roots are ground up and steeped in hot water to create a delicious, caffeine-free drink. Kava root is traditionally consumed as a ceremonial drink in the Pacific Islands where it originates, but it is now popular around the world for its mild, relaxing properties. Kava tea can be made from a number of different types of kava. The most common varieties are Waka, Yaqona, and Mahakea. Waka is considered to be the best kava for making tea, as it has higher levels of kavalactones — the active substances that give kava its effects. This means that Waka kava is more potent than other kava varieties, with a smaller amount needed to produce the same effects.

Standard Kava Brewing Methods

Before we get into how to make kava tea, it’s important to understand standard kava brewing methods. While you can use these methods to make kava tea, there are some important modifications that you should keep in mind.

  • *Choosing the Right Kava: If you want to make kava tea from scratch, you’ll have to use freshly ground roots. You can use the same amount as you would for a kava drink, but keep in mind that the effects take slightly longer to kick in. As kava tea is made with freshly ground roots, the taste can be quite strong if you aren’t careful. However, you can make it taste much better by following a few simple
  • *Standard Kava Brewing Methods: Kava tea is often brewed the same way as tea, with the flavours combining well. There are a few different methods that can be used, with each producing slightly different results. The most commonly used is the tea bag method, but there is also the loose leaf method, the cold brew method, and the water and fat

The tea bag method involves putting freshly ground roots into a tea bag and then adding the bag to a cup of hot water.

The loose leaf method involves putting freshly ground roots in a cup, covering them with hot water, and then letting them steep for at least 10 minutes before straining out the roots.

The cold brew method is similar to the loose leaf method, but the leaves are left to steep for over 24 hours with cooler water.

And the water and fat method involves putting ground roots in a cup and then pouring lukewarm water with 1/3 milk over them. The milk fat helps extract out the psychoactive ingredients called kavalactones, and the lukewarm water is recommended so as to not degrade those ingredients.

Which is the Best Kava for Making Tea?

As we’ve discussed, Waka kava is the best type of kava for making tea. You should make sure that you buy high quality kava from a reputable company that provides laboratory testing results. The best kava tea will be high in kavalactones, meaning that it has the highest level of active substances. The worst kava tea will be low in kavalactones and won’t produce any effects. Kavalactone levels can differ depending on growing conditions, harvesting, and production methods. Kava grown in tropical climates usually has higher kavalactone levels than kava grown in subtropical or temperate climates. Kava grown near the equator usually has the highest kavalactone levels.

Tips for Making Great Kava Tea at Home

  • *Choosing the Right Kava: As we’ve discussed, Waka kava is the best kava variety for making You should try to buy kava that has been ethically sourced from a reputable company. This will ensure that the kava is high quality and hasn’t been affected by unethical practices like the use of pesticides.
  • *Preparing the Roots: If you’re making kava tea from the roots, chop them up into small pieces. This will help to release the flavours, making the tea taste better. You can use a blender to chop the roots, but don’t use it for longer than a few seconds, as this can cause the roots to oxidize and become
  • Brewing the Tea: If you want to make kava tea the traditional way, you can add the chopped roots to a cup and cover them with hot You can then strain the roots out after they’ve been in the water for around 10 minutes. If you want to make kava tea using a tea bag, you can put the chopped roots into the bag and then add it to a cup of hot water. You should let the kava tea steep for a few minutes before taking a sip. It’s best to leave the tea bag in the cup for around 10 minutes for maximum results.

 

FAQ

Can you make kava tea with alcohol? – You can make kava tea with alcohol, but it’s not the best idea. Kava tea made with alcohol won’t have the same effects as kava tea made with water. While alcohol can be great for relaxation, it isn’t a good choice for kava tea.

What are the health benefits of kava tea? – Kava tea is great for relaxation, stress relief, and anxiety. It’s also an excellent sleep aid, making it one of the best tea varieties for insomnia and other sleep issues.

Conclusion

Kava tea is an ancient tradition that has recently come into popularity across the world. It is made from the kava plant, which is native to the South Pacific. Kava tea is a great drink for relaxation, anxiety relief, and improving sleep. To learn more about Kava, please visit EastWestHerbal.com