We love celebrating the unique qualities of each Pacific Island kava—they’re the reason we’re here! Today, we’re hopping over to the island of Tonga and exploring their Pouni Ono kava. This Noble kava has become a crowd favorite with the Kalm with Kava community for its uplifting, bubbly relaxation effects and easy kava taste. In fact, it’s our top kava for social relaxation, as many people love to sip this kava variety before a night out with friends. To see what makes Pouni Ono kava an all-around, special variety, let’s explore the island it originates from, its cultural roots, and its singular relaxation effects.
Kava in Tonga
Tonga, officially known as the Kingdom of Tonga, is nestled in the heart of the southwestern Pacific Ocean between Fiji and Samoa. Referred to as “the Friendly Islands”, Tonga consists of around 170 islands, but only 36 of them are inhabited. Tonga’s islands are incredibly diverse, some being formed by volcanic activity, others by coral limestone formations. Several of the islands are still active volcanoes, which makes their soil incredibly rich and unique—perfect for kava.
The very word “kava” originates from Tonga, while other kava-producing islands use different words like awa or ava. Kava is harvested from the root of the kava plant, piper methysticum. Every Pacific Island has a different variety of kava grown on its shores, so each variety is completely unique to the island it’s grown on. For centuries, Tongans have grown and sipped on kava for cultural ceremonies, medicinal purposes, and community bonding. Traditionally, as part of a Tongan kava ceremony, the kava root was cut into small pieces, chewed, and then spit into a kava bowl known as a kumete.
For historical and present-day formal ceremonies, kava is served as part of cultural rituals, weddings, funerals, and other special occasions. Every kava ceremony follows different rules, but, in Tonga, the installment of the king or a Noble title is not complete until a kava ceremony is conducted. The kava root is prepared in a kumete and is then served to the highest-ranking member of the group—like the chief—and is then passed down according to rank.
For modern-day, casual occasions, kava is served nightly at clubs called kalapu or faikava. Kava is served primarily by women, and the role of serving kava is a sign of high respect. Only men are allowed to drink kava, and the women pass the kava out to the men in a coconut cup called an ipu.
Pouni Ono Kava Effects & Qualities
Our Pouni Ono is harvested directly from kava farmers in Tonga for freshness and quality. The unique volcanic soil of the island has created a smooth, relatively easy-tasting kava, which makes it excellent for first-time kava drinkers not used to kava’s signature earthy taste. Our Pouni Ono is a 100% Noble kava, which gives it superior relaxation effects.
There’s a reason why Pouni Ono is known as our best kava for socialization. Pouni Ono’s relaxation effects are best described as “heady”, meaning it has more mental effects. The “heady” mental effects are caused by Pouni Ono’s high composition of Kavain, DHK, and Methysticin. These properties make Pouni Ono more energizing than sedative and capable of stimulating euphoria than other kava varieties. Many people have reported an almost energetic level of happiness after sipping Pouni Ono, which is perfect for helping you feel more bubbly and ready for socializing.
Because of its uplifting kava effects, we often recommend Pouni Ono for daytime drinking, since it is less tiring than other kava varieties. It can provide wonderful mental relaxation and mood enhancement, and it can help stimulate the mind and encourage lively conversations with friends. Kava community members have reported the following effects after drinking our Pouni Ono kava:
- Mood boost
- Mellowed emotions
- Euphoria
- Mental calm
- Increased sociability
- Happiness
- Gentle physical relaxation
- Eased stress
- Alertness
- Lowered anxiety
Reasons to Try Pouni Ono Kava
- It’s a superb option if you are drinking kava for the first time.
- To try a fresh Tongan kava that is widely enjoyed in Tongan kava clubs.
- It’s excellent for reducing stress at work while remaining productive on the job.
- It’s a great kava if you are looking for help loosening your social inhibitions and relaxing to have a fun night out.
- If you’re feeling low, Pouni Ono can help lift your spirits.
Get Ready to Smile with Pouni Ono
If you’re itching for some upbeat relaxation, buy kava from the island of Tonga and start sipping on our Pouni Ono! Our Pouni Ono is some of the freshest dried kava root available outside of the Pacific Islands, and we offer it in both Medium Grind and Micronized forms. Want to do some island hopping? We also sell kavas from Samoa, Fiji, and Vanuatu. Shop our premium range of Noble kavas and start relaxing the island way today!
