Yaqona

Yaqona is the Fijian name for kava, the drink made from the root of the plant Piper methysticum, a relative of pepper. The plant is propagated by cuttings and takes several years to mature. The root is sun-dried and ground; the powder is placed in a straining cloth, which is dipped and squeezed several times in cold water. The muddy-colored liquid collects in the tanoa, a wide wooden bowl, and is served in the bilo, a cup made from half a coconut shell.

Fiji’s official tourism refers to yaqona as the national drink. The taste is earthy and somewhat bitter, and the drink leaves the mouth slightly numb. Its effect is mild and calming, which is why it accompanies long conversations, the talanoa, in homes, villages, and evening gatherings.

Yaqona also has a ceremonial role. In the sevusevu, someone arriving at a village offers the chief a bundle of kava roots and asks permission to be received as a guest. In formal ceremonies, the yaqona vakaturaga tanoa is often made of vesi, a hard wood associated with chiefs, and bears a coconut-fiber cord with shells, the sau, facing the place of honor. Participants sit on the ground in silence while the chief’s spokesperson, the matanivanua, approves the mixture. Before serving, the person preparing the drink cups their hands and claps, the cobo, as a sign of respect.

The recipient of the cup claps once, says “Bula,” drinks the whole cup in a single gulp, and returns the bilo with three claps and a “vinaka” (thank you). Hosts may offer the cup full or half full and usually have patience with first-time drinkers.

According to the Bowers Museum, the Fijian ceremony of drinking kava was adapted from a Tongan tradition, and multi-legged tanoa were mainly made on the island of Kabara.