For thousands of years, the people of Polynesia have been cultivating and drinking kava, the beverage often referred to as the wine of the Pacific.

From Vanuatu to Hawaii, each island has refined their product for taste and the desired effects.

Despite a short market boom in the 1990s, kava has generally been resigned to Polynesian ceremonies. But recently, kava has been making a comeback, especially in America and New Zealand.

So what is kava?

The drink itself is made from the roots of the Piper methysticum shrub. The plant's roots are pounded into a fine powder, mixed with water and drained through cloth.

The calming effects of kava come from the active ingredients called kavalactones. It acts as a mild sedative and has been identified as a natural alternative treatment for anxiety,of kava still remains in New Zealand and Australia, which enforces a partial ban.

Troy Wihonga holds a kava club from his house in Hamilton, where people of all cultures and ages gather to drink it and talk.

"It's not just what's in the kava that's important, it's what's happening around the kava bowl," he says.

"It's what we call the talanoa, or the conversation. The conversation is by far one of the most important mental health medicines that we have."

There is a feeling amongst the members of this kava club, that kava - an essential token of cultural identity for Pacific peoples - is consistently portrayed as analogous to alcohol.

"Most of the stuff that's running through the media is a lot of comparing it to alcohol or a narcotic -