Polynesian voyagers brought the ʻawa plant with them on their long journey across the Pacific. The Hawaiians knew that the plant was good at alleviating sleeplessness and relieving the aches and pains of an over-worked body. The plant grows wild and is cultivated, bottled and sold for consumption. There are several different types of ʻawa and not surprisingly there are just as many ways to prepare the plant for consumption. The differences vary depending on the ailment you wish to alleviate.

Most ʻawa mixtures begin by drying the plant in the sun. When it is almost dry the plant can be chopped up into bite sized pieces.

For sleeplessness: Pound and mix the ʻawa with a quart and a half of water,
strain with the fibers of the makaloa.
Put the liquid into a container and bring to a boil.
Drink mixture after it has cooled for some time. This is repeated until complete relaxation and sleep are restored.

The young shoots of the ʻawa are good for general debility, especially in children.

To Prepare: take the bud of the ʻawa and pound together with a few ‘ilima flowers.
Give the the child the mixture morning and evening.
Babies under ten-days-old should not be given this remedy.

To alleviate weary muscles: put five tablespoons of pounded ʻawa in a container mixed with about half the milk of a coconut.
Drink the mixture before eating dinner.
The remedy should put a little bounce in the patient's step the next day.

To help a cold: use about half a quart of chopped ʻawa; pound and soak in a quart of water.
At the same time take about a quart of mountain apple buds and leaves,
the outside of one green kukui nut,
twenty ko‘oko‘olau buds and flowers,
one segment of white sugar-cane.
Pound these and strain the juice.
Boil juice.
Take about a tablespoon three times a day for four to five days.

ʻAwa can also help cure migraines if chewed in small quantities every half hour for 5 consecutive days.

The different types of ʻAwa

1- ʻAwa-hiwa: The leaves are round, smooth and shiny. It is dark and its segments are long and it was used frequently by kahuna lā‘au lapa‘au.

2- ʻAwa-moi: This ʻawa is dark. Its leaves are shiny but unlike the ʻawa-hiwa they are short.

3- ʻAwa-papa-ʻeleʻele: This ʻawa looks much like the ʻawa-moi however; its leaves are much shorter.

4- ʻAwa Keoke: This is a more commonly found ʻawa and appears whitish.

5- ʻAwa-mākea: This is white and has long segments like those of the ʻawa-hiwa with reddish color at the joints.

6- ʻAwa-nēnē: or ʻawa-kuaʻea: This awa is somewhat spotted with lumpy appearance of the bark and trunk. In general appearance the spots resemble a turtle’s back.

7- ʻAwa-mokihana: This ʻawa is so named after its sweet smell which resembles the lovely fragrance of the mokihana, the famous fragrant berry of Kaua‘i. It makes a very powerful drink and is sometimes called “Ka ʻawa kau lāʻau” because its birds use its bark and berries to decorate their nests.

8- ʻAwa-lauane-a-kāne: The tree resembles the ʻūlei in every way. It fragrant flowers are whitish yellow; its leaves are thick and have a disagreeable odor. This ʻawa has very little known medicinal value. Its primary use is to get rid of boils on the skin.

Please seek the guidance of your physician or traditional healing specialist before beginning treatment of any kind. Also, please remember that Hawaiian herbal remedies are always used in conjunction with spiritual cleansing and pule (prayer).