Kava

Kava is a significant drink throughout the Polynesian islands and the South Pacific. The root of the Piper Methysticum plant is ground into a fine powder then soaked and strained with a mixture of water producing the drink, Kava. This beverage takes part in the traditional and ancient kava ceremony done in a majority of occasions such as weddings, funerals, homecomings, birthdays, wars, etc. The origin of the plant has been widely accepted to be from the Oceanic country Vanuatu however, recent studies have indicated the Piper Methysticum had originated in South India or Southeast Asia. Found in an article it discusses how scholars had developed this theory, "where the pepper species Piper nigrum (black pepper) and Piper longum (long pepper) are found. These arguments trace the similarities of ceremonial and ritualistic procedures in each culture. One scholar suggested an Asian origin for Kava by linking the Kava ceremony to the Chinese tea ceremony! And another scholar outlines the similarities of Kava drinking ceremonies to the ancient Vedic religion of India."

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