AH! Yaqona (pronounced yan-gona). Yaqona is a drink made from the root of a yaqona plant (a member of the pepper family). Yaqona (also called kava or grog) is NOT alcoholic. However, it does numb your tongue, and will provide the you with a relaxed and laid-back feeling if you consume enough of it. (Some people just get sick.) Yaqona is typically mixed in a tanoa which is a large wooden basin (shown in the photo) and served in a bilo which is a coconut shell cup. The presentation and consumption of yaqona is usually very ceremonial - respect for the village chief, head of the household, elders and guests is important at this time: they are always served first.

These Fijian friends honored me by having a special "grog-session" for me: I sat alone in front of them and they served me from behind the tanoa.