Kelai

Kelai is the most highly regarded cultivar on Epi Island, to the point that most of what is grown never leaves the island. In their foundational work on the botany and ethnography of kava, Dr Vincent Lebot, Dr Mark Merlin and Dr Lamont Lindstrom described Kelai as “the pinnacle achievement” of Pacific Island cultivar selection.

The aromatic character is the quiet one in the range: mild, soft, and lifted, with a light bright top note and a gentle spiced warmth through the middle. Clean, fresh, and balanced rather than dense. Pigment colour runs bright gold to rich honey, which makes Kelai particularly well suited to lighter-tone dye work on linen or silk.

The aromatic character is the quiet one in the range: mild, soft, and lifted, with a light bright top note and a gentle spiced warmth through the middle. Clean, fresh, and balanced rather than dense. Pigment colour runs bright gold to rich honey, which makes Kelai particularly well suited to lighter-tone dye work on linen or silk.

Sold in accordance with EU regulations exclusively for aromatherapy and natural textile dyeing applications.

• Island of Origin: Epi, Vanuatu
• Average Laterals to Stump Ratio: Natural (30-70)
• Typical Chemotype: 421365
• Processing: Traditional powder – fully washed and peeled roots, temperature-controlled drying, ground to fine powder
• Aromatic Profile: Mild and soft with a light, lifted character. Gentle spiced warmth, clean and fresh
• Pigment Colour: Bright gold to rich honey

Quality Guaranteed by the Kava Society (New Zealand) Kava Europe is proud to be the exclusive European distributor of the Kava Society’s exceptional kava. This is truly the best kava in the world. Unlike most kava on the market – poorly dried and cleaned roots of unknown origin – each Kava Society batch is processed from freshly harvested plants using pioneering methods that preserve maximum freshness while ensuring absolute purity. Every batch undergoes rigorous laboratory testing with certificates of analysis. This is the exact same premium kava sold in New Zealand, meeting all New Zealand quality and safety regulations. When you choose our products, you’re getting kava as it should be – fresh, pure, and properly identified.

Also, check our kava t-shirts and accessories.