"Give Me Yummy"

By Corey Marshall

Greetings, greetings! Are you thinking of trying kava but not sure you’re going to like it? I got you.

Here’s an elementary version of what I understand about kava's history. Just to backtrack… it’s made from the kava root found in the south pacific. Basically, back in the day, someone was probably chewing on a kava root and noticed their mouth went a bit numb and they felt relaxed. Naturally, they spread the word, and soon people were chewing kava roots regularly.

Back then, they actually chewed the root and spit it into ceremonial cups… and then drank it. Yep, you read that right. Kava was used in ceremonies and fellowship gatherings. Eventually, someone with a lil ocd said, “Hey… can you just soak mine in water ahead of time?” And thankfully that became the more common practice. And Today, as kava is def prepared in more conventional ways, it still has that gritty earthy Kava taste.

If someone asks me what it tastes like, I usually thhink… “Have you ever tongue-kissed a tree?” That about sums it up. One of my joys is watching people try kava for the first time. We take a sip and I watch their faces. Now usually they fall into one of these categories:

The Spitter: drinks it, can’t continue, and spits it out.

The Frowner: drinks it, frowns, but tolerates it.

The Enthusiast: drinks it and licks the bowl dry.

The Contemplative: drinks it, ponders the flavor, and says it’s not bad.

The Polite Sipper: drinks it, grins, and says “Mmm, yummy"

But Nah Fam; let’s be honest, “Yummy” isn’t the word that comes to mind when I'm thinking of kava for the first time. “Yummy” is reserved for cake, Kool-Aid, and Winnie the Pooh.

If you’re thinking about trying kava but aren’t sure about the flavor, Root City has you covered. They understand the taste is def an acquired one so they constantly come up with mocktails, which use kava as a base but make it enjoyable with a wide variety of flavors. Whatever your taste preference, they’ve got something for you.

After working my way across the menu, it took me a while (And I still have not tried them all) because I’m not adventurous and I still have the same taste buds I had when I was 13. So I tend to find a flavor and lock that one in. So because, Root City has a bunch of great flavors... I'm gonna give you a fast cheat sheet to help you get through it.

If you like something sweet that will really make you say YUMMY and mean it, order these, Dreamsicle (Kava, Blood Orange*NOT Blood from an orange, Vanilla Oat Milk), Brain Wave (Guava,Pineapple, & Lions Mane) or the Strawberry Rose Lemonade (filled with Yummy). Matter of fact, if you walk in and just say “Give me yummy,” they gon’ automatically just make you a Strawberry Rose Lemonade (The real flavors are Kava, strawberry, lemon, muddled rose, lemon serrano spirit, and a splash of coconut milk)

Aaight, in closing; to get the FULL list of their drink catalog, make sure you visit their website (https://www.rootcitykava.com/blank-5). With all the current and incoming flavors, Root City is starting to feel like the Baskin-Robbins of kava, and I’m looking forward to having a different drink for each day. Thirty One flavors, One Kava bowl. One sip at a time. Bula!