Ideas for Your Next Kava Smoothie
Have you ever given a baby a little wedge of lemon? Or if you didn’t supply the lemon, maybe you just watched that unsuspecting little person grab it with chubby fingers and shove it straight into their tiny kisser.
Admit it, some of you did it to each of your children for entertainment. Seeing those little faces contort into the cutest pucker is just too hard to resist!
Some food and drink just do that to us, doesn’t it? The taste is so shocking to the taste buds that we can’t help but wince or grimace. Speaking of a shocking taste, have you ever drunk kava straight up?
There is absolutely nothing subtle about the flavor of kava. The taste of plain kava is about as subtle as an elephant on roller skates. Your taste buds are surely dead if you miss it.
At first sip, kava tastes like a mixture of what a person might imagine grass and dirt to taste like. The strong flavor can stop you in your tracks. Your cup of kava will probably go to work immediately on your lips and inside your mouth, creating a numbing sensation. Don’t panic, that is totally normal.
The word “kava” literally means bitter. And they were not joking when they came up with that name! Some generous people refer to kava as having an earthy flavor. The realists who drink kava know that the flavor takes some serious getting used to for most people who didn’t grow up drinking it.
As for the natives in the islands of the South Pacific, they thoroughly enjoy a good bowl of kava. It’s woven into the fabric of their culture and they are accustomed to the flavor. The island natives might even have a family member who farms the kava. So, getting their hands on fresh kava is not a problem.
The local farmers tend their kava plants and harvest the roots. The roots are the only part of the plant that contains the kavalactones which deliver the positive benefits of kava. Kavalactones have anxiolytic and sedative effects on us. This means drinking kava is great for reducing symptoms of anxiety and for helping you to relax.
Overall, if you want to experience the benefits of drinking kava but you are not a fan of the taste, you can keep drinking it and ignore the bitterness and pray that you eventually get used to the taste.
OR … You could get creative with your kava. You could resort to the same tactics and tricks of the trade that many parents have used. Mask the flavor and hide the good stuff in a smoothie. Yep. A plain old smoothie.
Ideas for Your Next Kava Smoothie
Kava Smoothie Recipe #1
⅓ cup Kava
1 cup almond milk
¼ cup of coconut milk
1 frozen banana
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp almond butter or peanut butter
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
⅛ tsp cloves
2 cardamom pods (seeds only)
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
Dash nutmeg
Ice
First, prepare your kava using lukewarm coconut milk rather than water. Pour the kava into your blender. Add your ice and the frozen banana. Now you can add in the remaining ingredients, blend, and enjoy! The spices and sweetness of the banana help to mask the flavor, but remember, it’s still kava. So you should feel the telltale numbness in your mouth and the hint of bitterness on the back of your tongue.
Kava Smoothie #2
1 frozen banana
1 ½ cup orange juice
¼ cup of milk
2 ice cubes
¼ cup canned or fresh pineapple
1-2 tbsp powdered kava (Preferably a finer grind.)
Add your liquid ingredients to the blender first. Then add the remaining ingredients. Now blend for a few minutes. That’s it! Pour into your cups and drink up.
Kava Smoothie Recipe #3
½ cup room-temperature water
¼ cup kava powder
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
1 cup ice
Prepare your kava in the water. Add to the blender with coconut milk. Next add ice, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Blend for a few minutes, pour into your cup, and drink!
Kava Smoothie Recipe #4
1 frozen banana
1 tsp kava powder
2 tbsp raw honey
8 -10 oz of nut milk or coconut
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 cup crushed ice
Add the liquid to the blender first. Next, add your crushed ice and follow that with the remaining ingredients. Blend all the ingredients for a few minutes until creamy. Pour your smoothie into glasses and drink.
Smoothie Tips
- First of all, be sure to use only high-quality noble kava. Your body will react better to noble kava. Do NOT use tudei kava or unreputable kava. This is the most important tip for making a kava smoothie.
- If you have ever whipped up a smoothie, plopped your straw in it, and took a nice long drink only to discover it is room temperature, you know the importance of frozen ingredients for smoothies! Be sure to include frozen fruit and possibly ice, as well. A cold smoothie is a better smoothie!
- As for your fruit choice, bananas will make it creamy and add a bit of sweetness. If you want to mask the taste, then pineapple is going to be your best bet. Pineapple is known for covering up strong flavors.
- Lastly, it’s important to add the liquid or ice first. Never add the dry ingredients or nut butter first. They will cling to the bottom of the blender if they go in before the liquid. You would have to scrape them out of the bottom and blend them again. It’s just smarter to always put the liquid and ice in first.
Kava Smoothie Alternatives
Smoothies are not the only way to mix up your kava routine. You can reap the benefits of kava in many creative ways. You just need to think outside the box!
Standard kava is just mixing up micronized kava in water or putting your kava powder into your strainer baggie and kneading it in the water. Then you just drink it straight. As we’ve said, that is how the natives drink their kava. That’s how you drink kava in its purest state.
But we’re not talking about that! We’re mixing it up, right?! So, here are a few more ideas for your kava.
Kava Chocolate Milkshake
¼ cup kava powder
8-10 ounces of warm water
14 ounces of canned full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup of cocoa powder
3 tbsp of sugar
Ice
Strainer baggie
First, put your kava into the strainer baggie and tie it up. Then put your kava into the water and knead it. Basically, just prepare your kava! Now pour that liquid into the blender with the coconut milk. Add your ice. Now you can dump in the remaining ingredients. Blend for a few minutes. The coconut milk should make it really creamy! Pour into your cup and enjoy with a straw.
Kava Soda
1 bottle of lemon-lime soda
½ cup of micronized kava powder
¼ cup of lime juice
This recipe is meant for sharing! Pour all the ingredients into a punch bowl and stir frequently to keep the kava powder mixed in. Ladle it over a cup of ice and enjoy!
Kava Fruit Juice
1 cup of fruit juice, any type
1 bottle of ginger ale
1-2 tbsp of instant kava powder
½ of a lime, juiced
Pour all the ingredients into a large pitcher and stir regularly. Pour over a cup of ice and enjoy!
What is Our Favorite Kava-Blended Drink?
We are a bit partial to the best pre-made kava blend on the market, Ü Relax Calming Tonic. You won’t need to bust out your blender. You won’t even need ice. Just click on that link and it will take you right where you need to go to order your first six-pack.
No following a recipe, no measuring, and no need to find just the right kava powder online. We have done all of the work for you and put the perfect blend of ingredients into a four-ounce serving.
And the best part? Our kava blend is better, not bitter! Our calming tonic comes in your choice of mixed berry or pineapple flavors.
In the End
There are many possibilities to change your kava drink and cover the bitter flavor with additional ingredients. You can make all sorts of smoothies or drinks with your kava.
Just remember it has to be noble kava and you must put the liquid into your blender first! And, if you really want the best kava blend, then just stick with Ü Relax Calming Tonic!