Damu kava
Damu is a kava cultivar from Kadavu, Fiji. Legal class: Noble.
Origin
Island: Kadavu. Country: Fiji. Coordinates: -19.05, 178.2167. Kadavu on the kava map.
Legal standing
Noble, per Fiji Ministry of Agriculture / PHAMA Plus variety survey.
Chemotype
A chemotype ranks the six kavalactones from most to least abundant. It says nothing about how much kava is in the root, only about the order. Published readings for this cultivar disagree, so all of them are shown.
| Code | Kavalactones, most to least abundant | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 462315 | Kavain > Methysticin > Dihydrokavain > Yangonin > Desmethoxyyangonin > Dihydromethysticin | Art of Kava; 7.73% total kavalactones |
| 246513 | Dihydrokavain > Kavain > Methysticin > Dihydromethysticin > Desmethoxyyangonin > Yangonin | Kava Library |
Chemotype genuinely shifts with plant age, which part of the root was milled, soil and shade. Some of this spread is real variation and some of it is disagreement between laboratories. Treat any single code as a claim about one batch, not a property of the variety.
Character
Heavy. Muscular and slow. Evening kava.
How it is described
- “Very strong and a slow burner, heavy, with onset around 45 minutes”, Art of Kava
Taste and mouthfeel
No published tasting notes.
Background
- “Damu means red. Purple stem colouring with a few black or purple lenticels”, Fiji Ministry of Agriculture / PHAMA Plus variety survey
Availability
Limited. Sold by a handful of vendors.
Known to stock it: Art of Kava, Kalm with Kava.
Documentation
Corroborated. Sources cited on this page: