Editing Kava (section)

=== Traditional preparation ===
The traditional kava beverage is prepared through aqueous extraction of the fresh or dried roots of the ''Piper methysticum'' plant. When using fresh roots, the outer layer is typically peeled before the root is either chewed or mechanically ground into a fine, fibrous pulp, which is then mixed with water. For dried roots, the material is finely ground, placed in a porous cloth, and infused in water. The resulting brew is usually consumed immediately after preparation, often from a communal bowl.<ref name=govau/>

Traditional and recreational preparation of kava beverage involves macerating, grinding, or pounding fresh or dried rhizome/root (1.0–1.5 g) and mixing it with water or coconut milk (100–150 mL) to form an emulsion, which is then agitated and strained through cloth or bark filters into a communal bowl. The resulting drink is grey and slightly pungent, with fresh rhizome/root producing a stronger and more complex beverage than dried forms due to the retention of volatile compounds. In [[Vanuatu]], fresh root is commonly used, while in non-Pacific countries, kava is typically prepared from dried root powder soaked in water (about one tablespoon per cup) for 30 minutes before straining. On [[Pohnpei]] in [[Micronesia]], preparation also includes mixing the kava root with the fibrous bark of ''Hibiscus tiliaceus'' before pressing.<ref name="fao-who" />

Chewing produces the strongest effect because it produces the finest particles.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}} The strength also depends on the species and techniques of cultivation.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

In Vanuatu, a strong kava drink is normally followed by a hot meal or tea. The meal traditionally follows some time after the drink so that the [[psychoactive]]s are absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly. Traditionally, no flavoring is added.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

In Papua New Guinea, the locals in Madang province refer to their kava as ''waild koniak'' ("wild cognac" in English).{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

[[File:Fijian kava ceremony.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Fijian kava ceremony being performed for tourists (2015). Traditionally, kava grog is drunk from the shorn half-shell of a coconut, called a ''bilo''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fiji -> In depth -> Food and Drink|url=http://www.frommers.com/destinations/fiji/252193#sthash.jQFrK6a6.dpbs|website=www.frommers.com|publisher=Frommers|access-date=7 August 2014}}</ref>]]

{{anchor|Grog}}[[Fijians]] commonly share a drink called ''grog'', made by pounding sun-dried kava root into a fine powder, straining and mixing it with cold water. Traditionally, grog is drunk from the shorn half-shell of a coconut, called a ''bilo''. Grog is commonly used in [[Fiji]], especially among young men, and often brings people together for storytelling and socializing. Drinking grog for a few hours brings a numbing and relaxing effect to the drinker; grog also numbs the tongue, and grog drinking typically is followed by a "chaser" or sweet or spicy snack to follow a ''bilo''.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

[[File:Kava vanuatu.jpg|thumb|right|Kava root being prepared for consumption in Asanvari village on [[Maewo]] Island, Vanuatu (2006).]]