Small polished Kava Cups/Bilos can be used for gifts, decorations, or kava drinking for light kava drinkers.

HISTORY: COCONUT CUPS FOR KAVA

Serving kava in a coconut shell cup dates back centuries to the early ages of the Pacific Island cultures. Since ancient times, drinking kava has been part of significant ceremonial occasions, and bilos were used to serve kava during the proceedings. In many traditional kava ceremonies across the Pacific Islands, kava was prepared in a large wooden kava bowl called a tanoa and then served in a bilo. Usually, the first to receive the bilo would be the village chief or the highest-ranking individual at the ceremony. Then, the bilo would continue to pass through the group of people in descending order based on rank. To this day, kava ceremonies are used to honor visiting dignitaries. In fact, Prince Harry and Megan Markle sipped out of bilos in 2018 when a kava ceremony was held in their honor during a visit to Fiji.

Through the centuries, kava ceremonies and bilos started to be integrated into the celebrations marking everyday family and village life: births, weddings, anniversaries, and funerals. Nowadays, bilos aren’t only used in the Pacific Islands—they’re global! From kava bars to social gatherings to personal kitchen, bilos are still enjoyed by kava community members across the world.