Excessive consumption may impair the ability to drive. But he cautions, it should not be mixed with any drugs, herbs, or alcohol. But generally you feel centered and calm.ĬHANG: Jackson says awa is not addictive. If you drink fairly large amounts, then you would feel sleepy. There's no intoxicated effect or feel from it. There it can be prescribed as an alternative to sedatives like valium. However, in Germany, the equivalent of the FDA has approved it for prescription use. And so it's quite highly prized.ĬHANG: In the U.S., awa is considered an herbal supplement, so it is not regulated as a drug by the Food and Drug Administration. Hawaiian awa contains a lot of kavain, which is a very potent, calming active ingredient. And so the chemotype or the kavalactone content, which is a measure of the active ingredient, is very different from that in the South Pacific. It's been here over a thousand years, and even though it's related to kava down in the South Pacific, it's had time to change.
He says there's a big demand for Hawaiian awa. It wasn't until the last decade that awa began making a comeback.ĬHANG: Here at the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, bio-chemist Mel Jackson grinds the most sought after portion of the plant, the root, which can be made into a powder to drink, or processed into teas, capsules, tinctures, or extracts. Eventually the ban was lifted, and exporting awa, primarily to Germany to be made into pharmaceuticals, became a thriving business. Some missionaries influenced the Kingdom of Hawaii to ban awa because it conflicted with their religious and moral beliefs. I call to you to descend and inspire me.”ĬHANG: But those traditions ended with the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 1820's. awa lau, awa pu, awa hiwa, awa kea, these different kinds of awa. I call to you, offering you the various awa. MALY: Simply put, "I call to you, this deity, the god that dwells on the mountain, along the mountain ridges and mountain peaks.
People drank awa socially or after a hard day's work, and it was a sacred offering to the spirits.
The root was chewed or made into a drink to calm someone or relieve anxiety. But it was also important in family and in daily life.ĬHANG: Oral historian, Kepa Maly says native Hawaiians use awa to soothe aches and pains and suppress the appetite to become fit and trim. MALY: It was the food, the offering to the gods. Kava was one of the original plants that Polynesian settlers brought to Hawaii over 1,000 years ago. Chiefs consumed it as a ceremonial drink, and it was used in social gatherings. Heidi Chang reports.ĬHANG: For 3,000 years, kava has played an important role in South Pacific island culture. Kava was once banned in Hawaii but these days the plant is making a comeback there, in medicine, popular culture, and as a new cash crop. It's a member of the pepper family, and was first used in ancient Polynesia, where it was valued for its natural calming effects. CURWOOD: Kava ranks as one of the most popular herbal supplements these days.
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