Kava

Many moons ago Paul Harvey used to hawk Kava on his radio show as my friend Roger and I carpooled to work. Here are a few thoughts on the subject from my old friend Roger:

I honestly cannot tell the difference between Kava and any other instant coffee. No doubt some people can, so it must be just me and my unsophisticated philistine taste.

It claims to use “premium” coffee beans, and I have no doubt that it does. It is unique in that it is “reduced acid”. Claims range from 50 to 90% less acid than regular coffee.

I am quite opinionated about stomach acid, having studied the subject in college, but perhaps it is suffice to say that the stomach naturally produces acid. (“Hydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl) in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid.”) The stomach needs acid to work properly. The acid found in a cup of coffee is just a drop in the bucket compared to stomach acid.

One objection I have to Kava is that the acid is removed using potassium hydroxide. (Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH. Its common name is caustic potash.) I believe natural coffee, made by God, with all its acid, is quite alright with me. I say the same for oranges, lemonade, etc. Agricultural scientist and chemist frequently like to tamper with natural foods, and the results are not always beneficial. So will Kava with its caustic potash harm you? Most probably not, but I will continue to use my Italian instant espresso.

There is no charge for this evaluation.

From what I remember.. and I am going back 30+ years.. Kava used to be some nasty tasting stuff.. but to be fair I think that all instant coffee is nasty. I posted a NY Daily News review about Starbucks Via here.. I have since tried and have been disappointed by Via.

Are you a coffee person? Ever tried Kava or Starbucks Via?