Melomelo (Melo Melo) kava
Melomelo, also written Melo Melo, is a kava cultivar from Ambae, Vanuatu. Legal class: Noble.
Melomelo the cultivar is not the same thing as MeloMelo Kava Bar – Oakland (Oakland, CA, United States), MeloMelo Kava Bar – Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA, United States) or MeloMelo Kava Lounge (Cairns, Queensland, Australia): those are kava bars, and this page is about the plant variety. See them on the map.
Origin
Island: Ambae. Country: Vanuatu. Coordinates: -15.3833, 167.8333. Ambae on the kava map.
Legal standing
Noble, per Vanuatu Kava Act No. 7 of 2002, Schedule Table 1.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 245361 | Dihydrokavain > Kavain > Dihydromethysticin > Yangonin > Methysticin > Desmethoxyyangonin | Kava Forums chemotype thread |
| 265431 | Dihydrokavain > Methysticin > Dihydromethysticin > Kavain > Yangonin > Desmethoxyyangonin (Kavain ranks fourth or lower) | Kava Library |
| 243156 | Dihydrokavain > Kavain > Yangonin > Desmethoxyyangonin > Dihydromethysticin > Methysticin | Nakamal at Home |
| 423156 | Kavain > Dihydrokavain > Yangonin > Desmethoxyyangonin > Dihydromethysticin > Methysticin | Kava Society New Zealand |
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
Balanced. A lift to the mind and a loosening of the body, arriving together.
How it is described
- “Mellow and slow, leaning towards a heavy body feel”, Kava Society New Zealand
- “Moderately heavy”, Kalm with Kava
Taste and mouthfeel
- “Bitter-sweet and creamy, with black pepper, wood and toasted malt”, Kava Society New Zealand
Background
- “Port Vila's favourite kava”, Kava Society New Zealand
- “Considered noble by the people of Vanuatu”, Bula Kava House
Availability
Widely sold. Easy to buy.
Known to stock it: Bula Kava House, Kalm with Kava, Nakamal at Home, Kava Society NZ.
Sold as
- Melo Melo Kava Powder, Bula Kava House, 454 g: 70.40 USD (155 USD/kg)
- Melo Melo Lateral Roots, Kava Club, 454 g: 91.00 EUR (201 EUR/kg)
- Kava Powder Melo Melo, Kavaha, 400 g: 85.99 EUR (215 EUR/kg)
- Melo Melo Noble Kava, Kava Mode, 500 g: 113.97 EUR (228 EUR/kg)
- Melo Melo Traditional, Kava Europe, 500 g: 119.99 EUR (240 EUR/kg)
- Kava Powder Melo Melo, Kavaha, 200 g: 49.99 EUR (250 EUR/kg)
- Kava Powder Melo Melo, Kavaha, 100 g: 26.99 EUR (270 EUR/kg)
- Melo Melo Traditional, Kava Europe, 100 g: 27.99 EUR (280 EUR/kg)
- Melo Melo Single Cultivar Traditional, The Kava Society, 500 g: 179.99 NZD (360 NZD/kg)
Prices read from vendor storefronts on 2026-09-16, ranked cheapest per kilogram first. No vendor pays to be listed.
Documentation
Corroborated. Sources cited on this page: