A guest Post by Garry Stoner of TK Labs. 

As its popularity increases, you don't have to look very far to find someone who's "tried" kava. Both in person and online, many are giving their account of kava experiences. But the sad thing is, many are wrong - they haven't actually tried kava. Kava, in one form or another, is available from a vast number of sources, but a surprisingly small percentage of products actually qualify as true kava, at least in the South Pacific sense.

According to some of the most respected kava scientisits and popular knowledge kava was first domesticated thousands of years ago on the islands of what we know today as The Republic of Vanuatu. Not surprisingly, Vanuatu until today boasts one of the most vibrant kava cultures in the world. The islands of Vanuatu are known not only for a great variety of different kava strains, but also for their famous kava rituals and practices. Vanuatu is also known as practically the only place in the South Pacific where kava is made from fresh (i.e. not dried) roots. As such, it has both a unique flavour and incredible potency. In late December some of us decided to travel there to learn more about the local kava scene and talk to some of the local kava drinkers, farmers and vendors. Below we publish a few of the key observations we made in between shells of fresh kava.