Kola nut

Lore & Background

The kola nut is the seed of evergreen trees of the genus Cola, primarily Cola acuminata and Cola nitida. Cola acuminata is an evergreen tree about 20 meters in height, with long, ovoid leaves pointed at both ends with a leathery texture. The trees have cream-white flowers with purplish-brown striations, and star-shaped fruit consisting of usually five follicles.

Inside each follicle, about a dozen prismatic seeds develop in a white seed-shell. The nut has a reddish or white color flesh on the inside, and has a sweet and rose-like aroma. Kola nuts contain about 2–4% caffeine and theobromine, as well as tannins, alkaloids, saponins, and flavonoids.

Reader's Guide

The kola nut has a bitter flavor and contains caffeine, acting as a nervous system stimulant. It is chewed in many West African countries, in both private and social settings, and is often used ceremonially, presented to chiefs or guests. Throughout history, kola nuts have been planted on graves as part of various rituals. Laborers in many countries grow kola nuts to fight fatigue and hunger, while Brazilians and people of the West Indies use the nut as a remedy for hangovers, intoxication, and diarrhea.

In folk medicine, kola nuts are considered useful for aiding digestion when ground and mixed with honey, and are used as a remedy for coughs. Kola nuts are perhaps best known to Western culture as a flavoring ingredient and one of the sources of caffeine in cola and other similarly flavored beverages, although kola nut extract is no longer claimed on the labels of major commercial cola drinks such as Coca-Cola. The crop's value makes it one of the most important indigenous cash crops in West Africa and is used as a means of social mobility.

Did You Know?

• The kola nut is about 5 centimetres (2 in) across.
• Kola nuts were used as an ingredient within Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola in 1886 and 1893 respectively.
• The kola nut is mentioned in Chinua Achebe's 1958 novel Things Fall Apart.