The Kava
Library
The 83 Islands of Vanuatu are said to have over 72 varieties of kava but you will only see a handful of the most popular strains available for resale. The majority of the Noble kavas in Vanuatu have chemotypes of 246531 and 264531. Kavas with these chemotypes are said to produce beverages that are suitable for daily consumption. There are a few Kavas in Vanuatu with chemotype 426135. It is said that these kavas are also suitable for daily use but that the taste is more palatable.
Kava in Vanuatu
Pentecost Island
Pentecost is said to grow varietals Bo and Tabal which are Wichimani and probably tudei. Those odd chemo types are 521634 and 526341. They also grow Abogae, Lalahk, and Malmalbo at 265431. The most famous of the Pentecost varietals are Borogu at 246531 and Borogoru at 246531. However, sometimes you will Borogu and Borguru with chemotypes of 426135. I guess the 4 and 2 are interchangeable depending on soil conditions. I have seen some kavas sold as Pentecost Pride but this IS NOT a variety in the botanical record. Therefore one must conclude that the Marketing name Pentecost Pride represents a blend of of noble kavas from that Island.
The Island of Tanna
The Island of Tanna is best known as the home of one of the most active Volcanoes on earth, Mount Yasur. The volcanoe is a tourist attraction and it makes life interesting for the people who live below it.
Vila, Ahouia, , Biya, Mita, Leay, and MalaMala are strains grown on Tanna and that all have the reasonable chemotype of 265431. Though you will sometimes find Kavas from Tanna for sale with names Kaolik and Marang-Marang, I could not find those varieties in the botanical record. This would suggest that they are blends. There was a review of Marang Marang on the kava forums that would suggest the blend was less than noble. Mention was also made of Kaolik. If you read the review you will find the reviewer got sick and were experiencing all the symptons associated with the the consumption of Tudei kava. The reseller was a trusted vendor who perhaps put too much trust in his Wholesaler. This episode underlines the problem with unscrupulous Wholesalers adding Tudei filler to the kava. And this why we always ask, “What strain is that kava”? Single strain kavas are always going to be a better bet than blends.
And speaking of Blends, there is a popular kava for resale that goes by the name of Fu’u. It is said to be a blend of kavas from the Island of Tanna and hopefully it is a blend of noble kavas.
Ambae Island
Melo-Melo kava comes from Ambae Island in Vanuatu. Melo-Melo has a bright color and a thick, peppery taste. Its effects are very relaxing as the name indicates. It has an noble chemotype of 265431. It is relatively popular kava but in some cases the tasted can be hard to handle.
Malekula
Poua at 245361 and Silese at 423651 are both noble kavas grown on the Island of Malekula. There is a kava sold by kava resellers that goes by the name of Malekula Magic but there is no such strain in the botanical recorfd. Again, the assumption is that it is a blend of noble kavas grown on Malekula. If it was indeed a blend of pure Poua and Silese, then that would be a very noble kava indeed.
Anatom
I am only mentioning this Island because they grow a kava called Tchap which has a very balanced chemotype at 426315. This would signify a kava that would not be too heavy but perhaps more balanced. If I am not mistaken, GHK carried this kava a few years ago and that is why I mention it.
