Kava Bar Menu Glossary: Shells, Tides, Bula, and More

Updated October 2026

Kava bars have their own vocabulary, some borrowed from Fiji and Vanuatu and some invented in Florida. Here's what you'll hear at the bar.

Ordering

• Shell: One serving of kava, named after the half coconut shell it's traditionally served in.
• High tide: A full shell, filled to the top.
• Low tide: A half shell. A good way to start.
• Chaser: Something sweet or fruity to drink or eat after a shell to clear the taste. Pineapple and mango are favorites.
• Flavored kava: Kava blended with juice, coconut, cream, or syrup.
• Kava cocktail or mocktail: A mixed drink built on kava, with no alcohol.
• Tea: At most kava bars, "tea" means kratom tea. Ask if you're not sure. What is kratom?

Saying it right

• Bula: A Fijian greeting meaning "life." It's the standard toast before a shell.
• Grog: Fijian slang for kava.
• 'Awa: The Hawaiian name for kava.

The gear

• Tanoa: The large, wide wooden bowl kava is mixed and served from in Fiji.
• Bilo: The coconut shell cup.
• Strainer bag: The cloth bag used to knead and strain kava root in water.

The kava itself

• Noble: Varieties traditionally used for regular drinking, known for a clean effect.
• Tudei: Stronger, longer-lasting varieties linked to nausea and next-day grogginess.
• Waka and lawena: Fijian terms for lateral root (usually stronger) and base of the stem (usually milder).
• Kavalactones: The active compounds in kava.
• Micronized and instant: Fine-ground and dissolvable kava that skip the straining step.

Learn more in types of kava, or see how it all comes together on your first visit.

Next: Kava vs. alcohol: how they compare. Or find a kava bar near you.