Swamp Juice?

3 bowls of kava at a kava bar

So I’m back in San Diego and I’m honestly not too impressed with kava. It has been a couple of years since our trip to Fiji and my first kava experience. From what I remember, the taste was not pleasant and I don’t remember anything but getting a tingly tongue. I had approximately a sip of kava during the Kava ceremony and I kind of shrugged it off as a beverage that’s consumed in the South Pacific.

A couple of years after that trip, Rajiv had started Kava Vinaka and I slowly began seeing that there was actually a market for kava! As Rajiv and his friend were talking about starting the kava business, I remember my surprise that someone born and raised in the US knew about and enjoyed kava. It really made me think that there might be something more to it.

I have been assured by this point by my husband that its typically acquired taste. So what does he do to change my mind about giving Kava another chance? Take me to a kava bar in San Diego. As we walk into the kava bar, we take a seat at the bar and Rajiv looks at the menu. I’m sitting next to him and again, I’m not sure what to expect. I decided to let him order for us. For himself, he chose an unflavored kava so that he could enjoy the traditional flavor. For me, he ordered something called swamp juice. This already seemed like a bad idea.

We got our bowls of kava, which were reminiscent of a coconut bowl shape. I took a whiff of the kava and took a sip. I thought, “Here goes nothing.” Needless to say, I was surprised by the gingery flavor of the kava. While I did still taste the kava, the flavors wore more muted and palatable.

Moral of the story, don’t let the taste of kava dissuade you from giving it a try! Think of it like a peach tea — its a mix of black tea, peach juice, and sugar, making it quite delicious. The juice and other flavors can really help elevate kava in my opinion.