Kava Tea

Kava tea is a tea made from piper methysticum or kava. It is from the pepper family and has been in use for three thousand years by South Pacific Islanders. There, it is used as a social drink and many say that it can help to increase sensitivity to sound creating a mild euphoric mood in individuals. It helps to relieve tension and aids in muscle relaxation. It has even been used as an anti depressant in some holistic forms of medicine. Still, what about the tea?

Those who truly want the experience of kava do not recommend that you use the root to steep as tea. That is because tea must steep at a temperature of 180 degrees or more for three to five minutes. But, when kava reaches a temperature of just 140 degrees, the 25 activite alkaloids in the kava root are destroyed. On the other hand, if you are looking for a treat, you may want to create a cold brew of this tea.

The best way to do so is to extract the ingredients found in kava root into a milk or water. When you place the root into the water or milk, the kavalactones will extract on their own into the liquid. For the best option, use a cow’s milk, soymilk or even better coconut milk to accomplish this process. You can then allow it to steep for some time before straining prior to drinking the tea. When doing so, you will have one of the best most flavorful teas you have ever had.

For those who really want to enjoy a warm version of Kava tea, the best way to accomplish this is through allowing the kava root to steep as directed above. Then, squeeze all of the liquid out of the root and discard the material. You can heat this a bit if you would like to, though it really needs no heat to taste amazing. To get the best results, you should always look for the highest quality, freshest root. There are some instant products on the market, including other drinks and kava paste that can be used as well.