Pohnpei kava

Kava preparation today in bars on Pohnpei, and also in Port Vila s nakamals — which feature green kava - relies on various sorts of mechanical grinders, some hand-cranked... 

As discussed in Chapter 4, there is a substantial diversity in the kava cultivars in the Pacific. According to Lebot etal. (1997), the number of different cultivars identified in the various island groups varies, with over 80 in Vanuatu, about 14 in Hawaii, 12 in Fiji, 8 in Tonga, 5 in Samoa, 4 in Papua New Guinea, 3 in Wallis and Futuna and also in French Polynesia, and 2 in Pohnpei. As kava does not produce viable seeds, there is no possibility of cross pollination to create new cultivars. However, a process of selection by farmers over many generations for kava plants with the most desirable characteristics for personal and ceremonial use has resulted in a diversity of cultivars. 

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