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So, what’s the difference between Cava and Kava?<br />
The answer: A LOT!<br />
Cava, meaning a cave or cellar in Spanish, lends the name to a sparkling wine of some similarity to<br />
champagne. But by European law, it is not the same.<br />
Cava may be made from only specific grapes and in specific areas of Spain, and carries the<br />
all-important ‘VECPRD’ symbol (meaning a quality sparkling wine produced in a designated region).<br />
Back in 1872, the vineyards of Penedès in Catalonia were devastated by a plague that affected the red<br />
grapes being grown. In their place, a variety of white grapes were grown, and a local winemaker<br />
developed a process for making sparkling wine with a device called a gyropallet. Cava was born - as a<br />
commercially viable drink to rival champagne.<br />
These days, cava is produced in Catalonia, Aragon, Castile y Leon, Extremadura, La Rioja, Navarre,<br />
Valencia and in the Basque country, but only with specific varieties of grape.<br />
Rosada cava (rosé) cannot be made by blending; the wine must be created only from the appropriate<br />
grape variety and processed to give the sparkling result.<br />
The top names for cava are Freixenet, the largest producer of traditional sparkling wine in the world,<br />
based on vineyards from the 14 th century that include those under the Penedès family name, and<br />
Codorníu, from the 16 th Century vineyards near Barcelona.<br />
Kava, on the other hand, is a South Pacific speciality. It’s a root crop that is indigenous to the area with<br />
varieties from New Zealand to Hawaii. It is popular in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and with most other<br />
island communities and is a normal evening drink often consumed in ‘clubs’.<br />
But it’s for men! Women do not drink kava.<br />
Women do, however, take part in the preparation and serving of the drink. In the clubs of Tonga, for<br />
instance, it will be served by a young, unmarried woman, essentially unrelated to any of the men<br />
present. If a male relative were to be present, HE would have to leave. Young girls visiting the islands<br />
might be invited to be a ‘server’ just for one evening. But not to drink!<br />
You can chew the root, or alternatively pound it or grind it into a paste and add a little water – and<br />
consume it directly. It might not look very appetising – a grey, brown or a yukky green – it has a<br />
pungent taste and is often followed (quickly by first-timers) with a sweet or spicy snack. It is said to<br />
produce a feeling of calmness, relaxation and well-being before eventually sending you off to sleep. It<br />
apparently does not cause people to get angry or do stupid things!<br />
These days, with TV available, and rugby to be watched, kava drinking can go on for hours. A typical<br />
Saturday evening in Tonga might include a steady drinking session, pausing every now and again to<br />
sing local songs accompanied by a guitar, before the rugby match starts. Then they would concentrate<br />
on the match until half time when they would start singing again, focus on the second half and sing<br />
again at the end of the match. As the Saturday evening approached midnight, the songs would change<br />
to hymns – mostly with Tongan words sung to traditional English tunes.<br />
(Sounds like a typical Saturday night out in the Welsh valleys to me! - in Welsh, of<br />
course, not Tongan!)<br />
As with all such drinks and drugs, it can be consumed in moderation or it can be<br />
abused, and high strength kava is available for those who want to have scaly skin,<br />
sore eyes, a loss of sex drive and general poor health.<br />
You pays yer money and you takes yer choice!<br />
MEMBER’S ARTICLE<br />
22<br />
- Submitted by Geoff Morgan<br />
I just had a physical. The doctor said, “Don’t eat anything fatty” I said,<br />
“Like bacon and burgers?” He said, “No fatty, don’t eat anything!”