Traditional grind Fijian kava, 100% waka root. Three generations of the same family, still doing the same thing.
Product detail
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Origin: Fiji Islands
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Grade: 100% waka — lateral root only, no lewena, no stems, no leaf
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Root age: average 3.5 years
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Grind: Traditional grind
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Flavour: Earthy and peppery
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Sizes: 500g and 1kg
What waka means
Waka is the lateral root — the thin roots branching out from the base of the plant. It's the most sought-after part of the kava and the most work to harvest, which is why most kava on the market is blended with lewena, the cheaper basal stump.
Ours is 100% waka. Nothing blended in to make up the weight.
Three generations
My grandfather, Mr Ram Karan, started this in the early 1960s with a stall in Suva and another at Nausori market. Selling kava, the way it had always been sold — across a table, to people he knew.
After he passed away, his younger son Sunil Karan took the business on and grew it into an exporter. In 2019 it won the Premier Medium Business Operating Internationally Award at Fiji's Prime Minister's International Business Awards, organised by Investment Fiji.
I run the Australian side. The kava we sell here is the kava my family grows, mills and packs in Fiji — not bought from a broker, not blended by a middleman. It's the same product from the same hands that were selling it at Nausori market sixty years ago.
How to prepare
- Add 2–3 tablespoons of kava to a strainer cloth and gather it into a bundle.
- Fill a bowl with 600–800ml of cool water.
- Knead the cloth in the water for 3–4 minutes, until the water turns dark and cloudy.
- Wring the cloth out and lift it clear.
- Serve in a bilo, around 100ml at a time. Drink it in one go rather than sipping.
- Stir the bowl between servings — the good part settles.
Traditional grind needs a strainer cloth. If you don't have one, add a cloth or a starter pack to your order.
Storage
Keep sealed in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
Sold for use as a food. Use in moderation. May cause drowsiness — do not drive or operate machinery after drinking kava. Not for sale to persons under 18. Not available for delivery to the Northern Territory. Do not consume with alcohol. Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have a liver condition.
