Kava (Yaqona): The Heart of Fijian Ceremony & Tradition.

It is Fiji’s national drink. Yaqona – pronounced yanggona it is also known as kava and by its colloquialism ‘grog’. It originated most probably from Vanuatu, being brought here by thoseintrepid voyagers that roamed the South Pacific in their voyaging canoes thousands of years ago.

When served on formal ceremonial occasions, such as the one in these photos, the yaqona is prepared and served at the same time as the party perform their yaqona meke. The meke assists everyone in the party by letting them know who is to do what and when. You can listen to an example of a party keeping the time by performing their meke here:*

It is a plant that likes ample rainfall, fertile soil, care and attention. The roots contain the greatest concentration of its active ingredient and are considered the most valuable part. They are normally harvested from around three years of age but become more valuable as they age.

When harvested the plant is gently removed from the soil, the roots carefully washed and separated along with the lower stem from the rest of the plant. The upper parts of the stem can then be used for replanting.

The roots are called waka and the lower stem lewena. They are sundried and placed in atabili–which is something like a big metal mortar- and pounded into a fine powder with an iron bar like pestle. The powder is then mixed with water to release the active ingredient from the powder with the pulpy residue being strained away. The active ingredient is not absorbed by the water but rather is suspended within it and will gradually settle on the bottom of the container. Hence the Kava mix is stirred when serving to make sure that the active ingredient is present in the draught when consumed.

Yaqona farming is a significant industry in Fiji both for local consumption and for export. It is also manufactured into herbal medicines for anxiety and insomnia.  It is exported in its natural form and consumed by the Fijian diaspora around the world.  Find an expatriate Fijian community anywhere in the world and a basin of kava will not be far away.  It is Fiji’s national drink and consumed by all races. The Indian people who initially came to Fiji through the colonial administration’s policy of indenture quickly became fond of yaqona and they imbibe on par with their fellow Fijians. 

For the iTaukei, or indigenous Fijians,yaqonaholds great social significance. On formal ceremonial occasions it is prepared and served according to customary ritual. Specific people, with appointed roles, are responsible for preparing and serving the yaqona. It is mixed in a wooden basin called a tanoa, and served in bilos, which are cups made from coconut shells, usually polished smooth with use. On less formal occasions yaqona is often mixed in plastic basins and consumed more casually, it flows freely amongst guests at weddings for example.

The yaqona is served to participants in a strict order reflecting their status as hosts and guests and the nature of the occasion.

An example of the status of yaqona is its use as an offering when it is presented as a sevusevu, or gift, that marks respect and recognition towards hosts and visitors alike.

Should you plan to visit a village or a household it is advisable to take some yaqona with you and present it to your hosts. You can buy pre-pounded packets in most rural shops. Alternatively you can purchase it from a local market where it can be bought in its raw or pounded form. If visiting a household one or two packets of pounded yaqonais sufficient. If you wish to visit a village and spend some time there half a kilogram either pounded or raw is appropriate. Raw is more ceremonial and traditional but either is ok. Inform the market seller that you wish to give it as a sevusevu and ask that they wrap it accordingly for you. Consider going to the market and obtaining your sevusevuas part of the experience. On arrival at the village ask to see the turaga ni koro, who is the village headman. When you sit place the yaqona in front of you and tell him you wish to present him with the sevusevu. He will take it from there. After he has accepted it with perhaps some small talk make your request to view the village. He will usually assign someone to take you around. Sunday is church day and inappropriate to visit unless previously arranged.

Explore the significance of High Culture Welcoming Ceremonies in Fiji to see the presentation of yaqona in its highest form.

All races in Fiji consume yaqonaand on informal occasions it may be mixed and served in a plastic basin and without formal ritual. Consumed at an optimal level it calms, soothes and relaxes the mood, inducing feelings of wellbeing, patience and talkativeness. At this level and with good company it brings conviviality to any social occasion. Taken past this point it can produce stupor and lassitude or laziness.

If you are invited to partake in a yaqona or kava ceremony – and all resorts on Denarau offer you this opportunity – follow these rules. Sit in front of the tanoa (the basin) and, if you move around, do not walk in front of it—between the bowl and the guests. Always walk behind. When it is your turn for your first bilo (cup), clap your hands once firmly in a cupped fashion immediately before receiving it. Holding the bilo in front of you, say ‘Bula’ to all assembled before you drink. Then, drink the yaqona in one go—no sipping! Hand the biloback and clap with cupped hands three times. The next time you are served, follow the same routine, but there is no need to say ‘Bula’ again.

Yaqona’s botanical name is piper methysticum and it belongs to the same family as the trees that give us pepper. Piper is the Latin for Pepper and Methysticum is Latinised Greek for intoxication-so you could say its name translates to an intoxicating pepper. The name seems to fit. Have a bowl of yaqona and you may notice a slight numbing or tingling of the tip of your tongue but nothing more. Have a little more and you should experience a slight elevation of mood and sleep well that night!

To be even better prepared for your visit learn more about Fiji’s language, people, culture, history and settlement.

*Audio: G.K. Roth Collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge. George Kingsley Roth served in the British colonial administration in Fiji from 1928 until 1957, eventually rising to the position of Secretary for Fijian Affairs. He held a Master’s in Anthropology from Cambridge University, England and was instrumental in creating the Central Archives of Fiji in 1954 to ensure the colony’s history wasn’t lost.