Kanna on Long Island: What It Is and How We Serve It at Roots

Most people who walk into Roots know what kava is, or at least have heard of it. Kanna is the one that gets the questions. So here is the plain version of what it is, where it comes from, and how we serve it at the bar in Port Jefferson.

What kanna is

Kanna is the common name for Sceletium tortuosum, a small succulent plant that grows in the dry parts of South Africa. The Khoisan people of that region have used it for a very long time, traditionally by fermenting and drying the plant and then chewing it, or brewing it as a tea. The word "kanna" comes from that tradition. It is one of the oldest documented plant traditions on the African continent.

That is the whole story we tell about it. Kanna is a traditional plant with a long history, and today it is enjoyed for its taste and as a social drink, in much the same spirit as kava. We are not going to tell you what it does for you. We are going to tell you what it tastes like and how we make it.

What it tastes like

Kanna on its own is bitter and green with a slightly sour, fermented edge, a bit like a strong herbal tea that has been steeped too long. On its own that is an acquired taste. That is why we build it into drinks rather than serving it plain.

In a drink, the bitterness sits in the background and gives the whole thing some depth. Paired with citrus, ginger or a little honey, it works. Most first-timers are surprised it is as drinkable as it is.

How we serve it at the bar

We make kanna drinks at the bar the same way we make our mocktails, with fresh ingredients and a recipe that has been worked on. A few ways to have it:

• As a kanna tea, hot, with a bit of honey and lemon.

• In a kanna mocktail, shaken with citrus and a house syrup, served over ice.

• As a kanna and kava combination for people who want both in one glass.

Ask whoever is behind the bar what is on that night. The core options are on our menu. A lot of regulars order kanna earlier in the evening and switch to kava as the night slows down, but that is a preference, not a rule.

The forms we carry

Beyond the bar, we also carry kanna to take home. The kanna section of our site covers all of it:

• Extracts, the concentrated form of the plant.

• Tinctures, kanna in a liquid base you measure by the dropper.

• Teas, the dried plant ready to steep the traditional way.

• Ready-made kanna drinks.

If you want to try it at home the way it has always been used, the tea is the closest to the traditional preparation. If you want something you can carry, the tincture is the easiest.

Why we know this plant

Our owner has been a practicing herbalist for 13 years, and kanna is one of the plants he has worked with the longest. Our sister brand, Healing Herbals, formulates the kanna products we carry and is a verified vendor in the kanna community, which is a small and picky group of people who care a lot about where the plant comes from and how it is handled. That matters for a plant like this because quality varies a lot between sources.

We also do formulation work for other brands. If that is something you are looking into, the white labelling services page explains what we offer.

Kanna versus kava

People ask this a lot, so briefly. Kava is a root from the Pacific islands, served as an earthy, peppery drink in a shell. Kanna is a leafy succulent from South Africa, served as a bitter green botanical usually mixed into a drink. They come from different sides of the world and taste nothing alike. Our kava page has the kava side of the story.

Plenty of people order one of each in a night. There is no wrong way to do it.

Trying it for the first time

Come in, sit at the bar, and ask for the kanna drink of the night. If you are unsure about the taste, get the mocktail version first, since the citrus does a lot of work. Happy Hour runs 4 pm to 7 pm daily, which is a good time to try something new without spending much.

We are a fully alcohol-free bar and lounge, so you can try kanna, have a kava shell, play a board game and drive home. If you are bringing a group, we host up to 40 with no minimum and no deposit. Details are on the private parties and events page.

Find us

Roots Kava Bar, 250 East Main Street, Port Jefferson, NY 11777. Phone (934) 259-8902. Check our site for hours, and the visit page has directions and parking.

Kanna has been part of a South African tradition for centuries. We are glad to be the place on Long Island where you can sit down and try it.