Bula Kava House News

May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, a celebration of the rich cultural traditions and heritages of Asian and Pacific island nations in the U.S. While Asian-Pacific seems like a fairly expansive term, it signifies the entire Asian continent and the Pacific island nations of Vanuatu, Fiji, New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and a host of other nations located in Micronesia and Polynesia. As with most commemorative months, Asian-Pacific Heritage Month originated as the result of a congressional bill. In June 1977, U.S. Representatives Norman Mineta of California and Frank Horton of New York introduced legislation into the House...

As part of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, we’re turning the Bula blog back in time to celebrate one of the founding fathers of Vanuatu culture, Roi Mata. History records Roi Mata as a powerful Melanesian chief during the 13th century from an island that is now part of Vanuatu. While Roi Mata’s reign was believed one of peace and harmony, the life of the last great chief of Vanuatu met with a vicious end marked by betrayal. However, the final resting place for Chief Mata remains one of Vanuatu’s lasting cultural treasures, and has left an indelible mark on the...

Hundreds of years ago on the tiny South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, legend has it that a young woman began arguing with her husband, Tamalie. When the argument turned heated, the woman ran from Tamalie, seeking safety in the lush jungle that surrounded the village. Seeing that her husband had followed in pursuit, the young woman frantically climbed to the top of the tallest tree she could find. But even that could not stop Tamalie from following, as he began making his way to the top of the tree, leaping from branch to branch. Left with no other option,...

With the negative perception of tudei kava with some in the kava research community, we are happy to have a hand in the promotion of the growing of noble kavas in Vanuatu. We understand that if we demand it, they will grow more. In the long term that will mean a healthy supply of noble kava, which will therefore decrease price, increase the success of the South Pacific kava growers, and help ensure the legal status of kava. Through research over the last couple months, we've discovered that to a varying degree, some kava coming out of Vanuatu is tudei,...