What Is a Kava Chemotype? How to Read the Six-Digit Code
What Is a Kava Chemotype? How to Read the Six-Digit Code By Chester Takau · July 2026 A kava chemotype is a six-digit code, like 426135 or 245631, that ranks the six major kavalactones in a specific kava variety from most to least abundant. It's a ratio, not a strength rating — it tells you which kavalactone dominates, not how much total kavalactone is in the root. Suppliers print it on labels and Certificates of Analysis so buyers can tell a calm, social "heady" kava from a heavy, sedating one, and so noble varieties can be told apart from riskier non-noble ones before anyone drinks it. How do I actually read a chemotype number? Read it left to right, most abundant kavalactone first. Each digit stands for one of the six major kavalactones by their standard lab numbering: 1 (dihydrokavain), 2 (yangonin), 3 (dihydromethysticin), 4 (kavain), 5 (desmethoxyyangonin), 6 (methysticin). A chemotype of 426135 means kavain (4) is the dominant kavalactone in that root, ...