Kava - the communal drink

Michael J. Balick to talk at UH Manoa

by Hanna Martz

photo courtesy of michael balick

Kava being strained into a common bowl.

Of the many things that humans like to observe, our favorite seems to be the psychoactive properties of plant species. And for many that brings on a slew of drug related jokes about fungi and usually ends in a story about a trip in which no one actually fell. 

But for others, the plants and the cultural heritage of the knowledge becomes more than superficial. There is a ceremony associated with the plant. There are right and wrong things to do or say. A purpose, a sense of community, even enlightenment could come from these rituals.

In the case of Kava, or 'Awa, there is a long history and purpose in its use among the people of the South Pacific. Commonly viewed as a brown milky drink, Kava is processed from roots and rhizomes of the Kava plant (Piper methysticum; a type of pepper plant). The resulting concoction yields something that resembles mud and hot cocoa. Due to its relaxing qualities it's used to welcome guests, and help settle disputes. It links the drinkers to their ancestors and the drinking amassed a great deal of ceremony. On campus you can learn all about this communal plant and beverage. (Check out Kava-Fest if you're interested in more. There are plenty of knowledgeable people here in Hawaii.)

But one particularly knowledgeable person will be on Campus this Friday to talk about Kava's properties and history. Hosted by the Ethnobiology Society, Michael J. Balick PHD, a prominent botanist and with the New York Botanical gardens and author of a couple different ethnobotanical books, will be discussing Kava with UH students and staff Friday at 3:30 pm in the Biomedicinal Sciences Building (BIOMD), room B-103. He will also be doing a Q & A session along with a book signing.

photo courtesy of michael balick

Piper methysticum growing in a lowland forest.

In his book, Plants, People and Culture: the Science of Ethnobotany, co-written with Paul Alan Cox, Balick explains the importance of plants and the special relationships with them that pervade our human world. The interaction between plants and humans spans thousands of years. We use them for sustenance, healing, material, even spiritual guidance; sometimes more than one at the same time. 

They have become an integral part of our lives and have helped shape cultures and history around the world. It is this symbiotic relationship that many students and faculty study here at UH Manoa is known as Ethnobotany. It is a study that humans have unconsciously been dabbling in since prehistory – testing out their environment for what-did-what and making note of what helped someone or what killed them. They learned how to manipulate plants for crops and other uses – developing concepts of tinctures, teas, salves and earth-ovens; humans figured out how to find, mix and use the properties of plants they wanted.

Here in Hawaii, we have the opportunity to see the relationship between plants and people and the subsequent affect on culture just by looking around. It is for this reason that so many people come here to study the native plants and the various cultures of the Hawaiian Islands. Don't miss out on a part of Pacific culture: join the discussion Friday, B-103 BIOMD.