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Written by David Stanley
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Sunday, 27 February 2011 |
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 Chief offers kava to the guest during yaqona ceremony. Pic: Roderick Eime
Yaqona (yang-GO-na) is a tranquilizing, nonalcoholic drink that numbs the tongue and lips. Better known as kava, it's made from the waka (dried root) of the pepper plant (Macropiper methysticum). This ceremonial preparation is the most honored feature of the formal life of Fijians, Tongans, and Samoans. It is performed with the utmost gravity according to a sacramental ritual to mark births, marriages, deaths, official visits, the installation of a new chief, etc.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 27 February 2011 )
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