Puariki (Buariki) kava
Puariki, also written Buariki, is a kava cultivar from Tongoa, Vanuatu. Legal class: Noble.
Origin
Island: Tongoa. Country: Vanuatu. Coordinates: -16.8833, 168.55. Tongoa on the kava map.
Legal standing
Noble, per Vanuatu Kava Act No. 7 of 2002, Schedule Table 1.
Legally the same entry
The Kava Act groups these names in one schedule row, so in law they are synonyms even where vendors sell them as separate cultivars.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 423156 | Kavain > Dihydrokavain > Yangonin > Desmethoxyyangonin > Dihydromethysticin > Methysticin | Kava Forums chemotype thread |
| 423165 | Kavain > Dihydrokavain > Yangonin > Desmethoxyyangonin > Methysticin > Dihydromethysticin | Kava Society New Zealand |
| 246531 | Dihydrokavain > Kavain > Methysticin > Dihydromethysticin > Yangonin > Desmethoxyyangonin | Art of Kava; 9.4% total kavalactones |
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
- “Bridges heady and heavy, and is remarkably clean”, Kava Society New Zealand
- “Euphoria first, then heavy body relaxation”, Art of Kava
Taste and mouthfeel
- “Nuts, butter and vanilla oatmeal; extremely smooth with little pepper”, Kava Society New Zealand
Background
- “The name joins Tongoan bua, kava, with riki, small, for its slow growth. Endemic to Tongoa and known there as Tongoa's Pride”, Kava Society New Zealand
Availability
Limited. Sold by a handful of vendors.
Known to stock it: Kava Society NZ, Nakamal at Home, Art of Kava.
Sold as
- Puariki Traditional, Kava Europe, 100 g: 29.99 EUR (300 EUR/kg)
- Puariki Single Cultivar Traditional, The Kava Society, 250 g: 104.98 NZD (420 NZD/kg) · out of stock
- Epik Instant Kava Puariki, Nakamal at Home, 125 g: 68.08 USD (545 USD/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:
- Vanuatu Kava Act No. 7 of 2002, Schedule Table 1
- Kava Forums chemotype thread
- Kava Society New Zealand
- Art of Kava