Kava, I discovered on a recent trip to Vanuatu, is the long-time drink of many South Pacific island nations. Kava is extracted by various means from the root of a tropical shrub and is used in a variety of ways, as a narcotic - to relax and socialise, as a ritual drink and in recent times as a herbal tonic. The brew, to my palate at least, has an unpleasant peppery herbal taste and a mildly anaesthetic effect on the tongue. Three cups I'm told will leave the imbiber comfortably numb.

Captain Cook said of kava in 1774 "The manner of preparing this liquor is as simple as it is disgusting to a European." He went on to describe how people would sit around chewing the roots until they were soft, spit the thin gruel into a bowl and dilute the mess with water before partaking. Today manufacture of kava is by a wine type press to make a concentrate of powdered root, much like coarse ground coffee - just add water or juice, drink, and relax.

© Martin Field