Page 25 - IB April 2022

Kava Kava

By Leila Parina powder and from that powder we mix the grog”.
Like many other small businesses, Arabian Coffee Break
It’s an ordinary afternoon in Suva city, with school students struggled through the pandemic in Fiji. The business lost
flooding towards the bus stand and window shopping. Car many hours because of the restrictions in 2021. They lost
horns honk as drivers speed through the city or are stuck in many customers and it was a struggle to operate. Once the
traffic. Shop owners prepare to close up while market vendors government started removing restrictions, they slowly started
call out to passers-by in a bid to sell their final goods for the getting back on their feet. The restaurant accepts sit-down
day. As the sun sets, the chaotic scenes from town slowly die patrons, and orders for cakes and takeaways.
down. The bus stand slowly empties, the last shop closes, the The small business owned by Abdul and Fariza Shiraz
last dalo is sold. A deep orange glow encompasses the city as started as a café and carwash. The carwash closed in June,
two young women stride to a quiet corner of town. and in November, the kava bar was added. There are plans for
It is 5.45pm this Wednesday, and Ani Nata and Atelini are a liquor bar to be added to the growing business.
the first customers to arrive at Arabian Coffee Break, a quiet Arabian Coffee Break mainly attracts workers, as it sits
little coffee shop by day and a relaxing kava bar by night. in the heart of Suva’s CBD. “We have customers from the
Ani and Atelini are regulars at the bar and very loyal to the Reserve Bank, BSP, and even the police here…the people that
establishment. They often come with fellow work colleagues are nearby,” says Eremasi.
or friends. “I like coming here because of the atmosphere The outdoor area is spacious and set with tables, chairs
and even though it’s a long walking distance from work, I and an umbrella to each. There is a canopy that covers the
wouldn’t replace this kava bar with another. The staff are inner area of the bar which has more seating areas, a TV and
good and always accommodating and the kava is top notch,” a billiard table. Music is often playing when a game is not on
says Atelini. TV. “I love it here because they allow you to play your own
“The location is good, and I like the kava here, it is nice music, you can just connect your Bluetooth to the speaker
and clean,” Ani adds. and enjoy your music” says Analeti. “We also watch the Drua
The secret to the “top notch kava” is the process in which it [rugby] games here”. Analeti and Mereani are both sharing
is served. Eremasi Seavula, is a frontliner at the café and is in a tanoa filled with kava and they also have a soft drink on
charge of food, beverages and customer service. He explains the side as a ‘chaser’. As the sun sets and the darkness rises,
that their kava is made from yaqona sourced from a farm in many more kava enthusiasts come in to share a bowl, talanoa,
Saqani, Vanua Levu. “We just pound the yaqona, it turns into listen to music, and watch a game or two on the TV set.

Green Gold Kava hails opening of Australian market

By Dionisia Tabureguci
Australia’s commercial kava export pilot program could not have come at a better
time for Green Gold Kava.
Founder and Managing Director, Praveen Narayan said the Australian market was
always their first priority.
“The interest from Australia was huge, considering the pandemic didn’t help in get-
ting our fellow Pacific islanders to take kava across personally, with lockdowns and in-
ternational travel halted. Now, kava will be available around the three states and will be
readily available in their suburbs and retail stores,” Narayan said.
He said they were flooded with enquiries from Australian retail stores, and, prior to its
first shipment in January this year, expected to be stocked by over 100 retailers.
“We anticipate around 4,000kg per month or around 50,000kg for the first year. The
demand will always be there as long as exporters send quality kava products and no
adulterated kava products. Kava is classified as food now by Codex and it should be
treated like that.”
The company has won Fiji’s prestigious Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Award
twice: “We only source our kava products from Natewa Bay and surrounding areas as
we have been supporting these farmers for over a decade now. In turn, they ensure the
highest quality of their products is harvested for Green Gold Kava.”

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