Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
Sorry (?), but I love the taste of a good Kava. You can't judge a Kava by its taste, but taste can be a quality of a good Kava.
WHY DOES KAVA TASTE SOOO DISGUSTING!
- Thread starter foxycleo
- Start date
I think Levesque or Lebot speculated that one of the indications of kava's lack of addictive properties is the fact that one does not grow more fond of its taste with time. Even long-term hardcore drinkers in Vanuatu still spit and use chasers in Vanuatu. I guess some people might be ok with the taste, but it's unlikely that they will like it even more as they become even more experienced drinkers
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I have found a few mild-tasting and yet strong kava strains. Another thing that seems to be important is how well the farmers clean/peel their kava.
verticity
I'm interested in things
Yes! For example, sometimes the Borogu from BKH is just undrinkable, I think because it is not peeled properly. Much worse than the "normal" kava taste.
There could be other reasons behind this peculiar taste..
Cleaning/peeling are obviously very important. JPT used to sell their famous "Lost Island kava". Some batches were great, but others were pretty bad. their explanation was that the bad batches were poorly cleaned and not properly peeled. But that was before we knew about the whole tudei spiking business so who knows, maybe the bad batches were simply not 100% noble..
verticity
I'm interested in things
I don't know. I have drunk tudei (in the form of Koniak, before I knew what it was), and it tasted fine, kind of piney. But maybe Vanuatu tudeis like Palisi taste worse. I have no idea.
Yea, tudei seems to smell/taste a bit piney (though also not quite harsh, from what I remember), but perhaps tudei peelings are the real shite.
The absolutely worst kava I have ever tasted (actually made me literally sick) turned out to be heavily spiked with tudei (a few people here know which kava I am talking about). But I guess it could have also contained peelings and other crap.
kava that is dried indoors can sometimes have a "smokey" flavour/smell. I've never had a noble kava that smelled piney, but perhaps it's not a perfect indication of tudei presence..
I feel like the majority of Vanuatu kava is piney smelling, even when it tests noble, I think that's the scent that I usually refer to as "zingy". Tudei has it as well, so a sniff test can be a very rough form of defense, but if that's all you had to go by, you'd miss out on a lot of proper nobles that have a similar scent.
To make a very literal response to the OP...Kava tastes disgusting because it offers no significant nutrition to humans. We've evolved to enjoy the taste of the chemicals that keep our bodies alive and functioning properly, things that don't, often taste terrible or bland. Secondly, since kava drinks are a bunch of little particles suspended in water, a lot of them get stuck on your tongue after you swallow. Hence, the popular post-shell hacking and spitting in Vanuatu...that helps rid your mouth of the small bits that coat it.
To make a very literal response to the OP...Kava tastes disgusting because it offers no significant nutrition to humans. We've evolved to enjoy the taste of the chemicals that keep our bodies alive and functioning properly, things that don't, often taste terrible or bland. Secondly, since kava drinks are a bunch of little particles suspended in water, a lot of them get stuck on your tongue after you swallow. Hence, the popular post-shell hacking and spitting in Vanuatu...that helps rid your mouth of the small bits that coat it.
verticity
I'm interested in things
Wild kava itself also evolved with it's own self interest in mind. It could be the taste (and effects) are to discourage animals from eating it..
ThePiper
Kava Lover
I feel like I've become more fond of the taste with time. I associate it with the enjoyable effects of kava and I grew to appreciate the natural earthy or piney tones as a reminder that this plant is a pure and loving product of the earth, and also to indicate potency. A really piney kava is almost always a sign of a feisty kava in my experience. I do not need a chaser at all. One very interesting thing I have noted about the sensory experience of kava being maybe anti addictive is every once in a while the smell will turn my gut: usually a sign that I cannot handle kava right now, such as when I am sick or have been drinking alcohol, etc. I think another user has reported something like this too.
I'm pretty sure kava emerged, as is, from the corpse of murdered woman...or from a woman's "tabu" place, as I was told by a man from Tanna.
HeadHodge
Bula To Eternity
Of course kava tastes good , because somewhere along the way, you have picked up a parasitic earthworm that is now feeding off of you.
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verticity
I'm interested in things
So you are saying that kava did not evolve, it e-vulved.I'm pretty sure kava emerged, as is, from the corpse of murdered woman...or from a woman's "tabu" place, as I was told by a man from Tanna.
Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
I'm going to stick to my original statement here and say that I think a good Tongan, Fijian, or Hawaiian Kava with a whitish hue and frothy head can have an absolutely fantastic taste. It doesn't always mean it's going to be the best Kava, but it certainly gives it an extra quality that I find important. Some PNG and Vanuatu Kavas can be pleasant in effect but taste like grass cuttings. It's all about the "search" for the best combination of qualities. Nangol Noble is pretty damn tasty!
Jana
Kava Enthusiast
That is a darn good observation, there. Life's best medicine is often also the toughest to swallow.
Did.......did......wait....., yeah, he DID just say that it was tasty!
I fully agree. Nangol noble IS tasty. It is absolutely FULL of flavor. I can detect all kinds of things in there. Strong, dirty bitterness. Sweaty feet. Soil. Grassiness. All kinds of tasty. A GOOD taste? Oh my gosh no.
I've drank it a total of twice now. I intend to again tomorrow and cant wait. Last time I indulged, I made it very strong (3 to 1 water to powder ratio) and chugged the first two then sipped the rest. No mixing, no chasers. I enjoyed it because man it felt absolutely fantastic. Last time I did it was, the best I can describe it, like a fantastically relaxing and euphoric alcohol buzz but with no side effects. I can handle the flavor because I like the effects so much, but I could never imagine anyone acquiring a taste for it simply for the flavor.
My hat is off to you, good sir!