Kava or kava kava or Piper methysticum is a crop of the Pacific Islands. Kava is consumed throughout the Pacific Ocean cultures of Polynesia, including Hawaii and Vanuatu, and Melanesia and some parts of Micronesia for its sedating effects.
The root of the plant is used to produce an entheogenic drink with sedative, anesthetic, and euphoriant properties. Its active ingredients are called kavalactones.