September 2019 Edition

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