Kava Products
What is kava?
The term refers to both the name of a plant (piper methysicum) domesticated and grown in the South Pacific, and the name of a drink made from its roots. Kava has been used for a variety of purposes. Throughout the Pacific it’s prepared from fresh or dried roots that are mixed with nothing but fresh water.
Currently, in Poland (and generally in the European Union), kava cannot be sold for human consumption. However, it can be used for other purposes, including as a cosmetic or natural plant product to be used in adding colour to fabrics or for ornamental, aesthetic purposes.
According to the statement of the Main Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) from 2016: “kava does not affect the central nervous system to any extent that could endanger human health or life, as well as there is no proof of causing any social damage by this substance”.
What makes Kava Europe’s products stand out?
Kava Europe offers 100% natural kava products made from nothing but pure, clean and noble kava roots. All of our products are sourced directly from The Kava Society Limited (Auckland, New Zealand), a leading supplier of fine kava, renown for both their expertise in everything kava, and for specialising in outstanding quality kava . Kava Europe (Pacific Elixir sp. z o. o., limited liability) is the only Kava Society’s official trading partner operating in Poland and the European Union.
The products we offer are of the same grade as kava sold by the Kava Society in New Zealand. We generally aim to source their signature blends of cultivars (e.g. the famous Pacific Elixir) and their instant green kava (also a blend), but may occasionally venture into one of their single cultivars. The Kava Society have worked with their partners to develop a truly the world’s finest kava products. All of their kavas are grown organically by farmers using traditional knowledge and techniques. Each batch is harvested to order, and then expertly cleaned and dried using advanced temperature controlled dehydrators in HACCP certified facilities. The entire process has been mastered over the years and the selection and range of their cultivars results from over a decade of trials. The end result is a range of products that retain maximum freshness and potency, and at the same time are of unmatched purity and hygenic standard. To put it simply: we are 100% confident this is the finest kava in the world. We are thus delighted to be able to be the exclusive European distributors of these products.
As per current Polish, you can use this fine quality kava in the European Union for giving your shirts or other textiles a beautiful, natural and rich kava colour. Truly, hard to imagine anyone being able to use a better kava for this purpose.
How to prepare the product?
As per current European regulations, our fine kavas can be enjoyed to prepare a nature dye for t-shirts and other textiles.
The process is straightforwad. Simply prepare the kava the way people make it in places like New Zealand, Vanuatu or Hawaii. Following the easy preparation, you end up with a bowl of 100% organic, clean and safe liquid that you can dip your t-shirt (or any other light coloured textile) in overnight. Remove the item of clothing, hang to dry and it’s ready for wearing. You may want to add a natural fixative at some stage if you want to ensure that the kava colour stays fixed and survives machine washing (please only wash it in cold water regardless of whether you use a fixative or not).
How to prepare the kava (to be used as a dye)? Again, just do it the way people outside of Europe would do it when they want to prepare their kava. Depending on whether you use traditional grind powder you might need a strainer bag. If you only want to have enough liquid for one person’s t-shirt, use either 35of traditional powder, or 15g of instant powder.
With traditional powder, place it in a strainer bag. Place the strainer bag in a bowl of warm (body temperature) water (use 15 parts of water to 1 part of kava, so for every 1g of kava, use 15ml of water) and knead, squeeze and massage it for about 5-10 minutes. Squeeze out all the liquid and it’s ready. You can also blend it in a blender for about 3-4 minutes (use cold water if that’s the case) and then strain it with a strainer bag. We generally recommend the traditional kneading method for best results, but the blender method also works fine.
With instant kava, just use one heaping teaspoon (about 5-7 grams) per 200ml of water. Stir well and it’s ready.
Regardless of which product or method listed above you choose, you will end up with a high quality kava liquid that you can then choose to use as your natural dye for a t-shirt or other textiles. We will be providing more detailed information about dyes and caring for kava-dyed textiles soon.
Do I need anything else when preparing kava?
In case of traditional kava Pacific Elixir, regardless of the chosen method of preparation, you need a strainer bag to filter out tough fibres.
What is the composition of kava available in this store?
Kava Europe offers 100% natural kava products made from nothing but pure, clean and noble kava roots. All of our products are sourced directly from The Kava Society Limited (Auckland, New Zealand), a leading supplier of fine kava, known for both their expertise in everything kava, and for specialising in outstanding quality kava . Kava Europe (Pacific Elixir sp. z o. o., limited liability) is the only Kava Society’s official trading partner operating in Poland and the European Union. The products we offer are of the same grade as kava sold by the Kava Society in New Zealand and they all comply with the relevant New Zealand regulations when it comes to safety requirements and composition. To put it simply: we are 100% confident this is the finest kava in the world.
Ingredients:
Traditional or instant kava: Noble kava roots. That’s it!
Where does kava available in the store come from?
The products available in our store was sourced from New Zealand, but the kava itself grown on the islands of the South Pacific. Kava Europe, Pacific Elixir sp. z o. o. limited liability, ul. Czerniakowska 73/79, 00-718 Warsaw, is responsible for packaging and distribution.
Are there any adverse reactions to kava usage?
As per European regulations, our products are intended to be used as as a natural dye for textiles and not for human consumption. Prolonged contact with kava by hand (when preparing it the traditional way) on a regular basis might cause reversible skin dryness. Some people might prefer to use gloves. The kava compounds do change the colour of textiles and hence please be careful to avoid spilling it on the wrong clothing. When you use it as a dye without fixative, it might not last for very long, but it’s still not the easiest thing to remove.
In the event of accidental indigestion, drink plenty of water. According to the report produced by the the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate of Poland (Główny Inspektorat Sanitarny) in December 2016: kava does not affect the central nervous system to any extent that could endanger human health or life, as well as there is no proof of causing any social damage by this substance.
Source: bip.kprm.gov.pl
Ordering and shipping
The parcel is sent within 2 working days after the payment is received. The delivery time depends on the chosen delivery method.
You can buy kava in the online store, and in two brick-and-mortar stores:
Chono Lulu Bistro & Bar, ul. Mińska 25, 01-247 Warsaw
and
Kava Europe, ul. Czerniakowska 73/79, 00-718, Warsaw.
Yes, kava can be personally collected in the chosen locations in the country. You can find the updated list in the “Events” tab.