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These two men are preparing the kava.  In the past, it was common to have children chew up the root and spit it out but now it's pounded and mixed in with water to make drink that tastes just like mud.  You down it all at once and then maybe have some more.  The one common effect is that it numbs your gums.  Beyond that it can be mildly intoxicating.  Vanuatu kava is thought to be the original and the strongest.  The only time I drank more than one cup I started sweating profusely and had an upset stomach.