AbstractIn this paper we present a review of practices surrounding the consumption ofkhat(Catha edulis) within recent migrant communities in Melbourne from East Africa. Cultures in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsular have usedkhatas a stimulant since the seventh century and the practice of coming together to chew the leaves of thekhatplant has acquired unique cultural importance. Based on focus‐group interviews the research examines transformations taking place in the meaning ofkhatfor East African communities within their experiences of displacement and considers how the arrival ofkhatmight be managed in the Australian context. Emphasis is given to indigenous models and the cultural context of practices surroundingkhat. This anthropology ofkhatuse in Melbourne summarizes issues such as who chews it, traditional settings forkhatgatherings, culturally defined effects of the leaf, health effects, beliefs and attitudes, levels of use, gendered attitudes and questions of dependence. These issues raise questions regarding the reception of indigenous substance use within a state that claims to be multicultura