Kola nut

Kola nut – pod with half shell removed to reveal prismatic seeds inside their white testa, and fresh seeds (whole without testa on the left and, on the right, split into cotyledons)

Thekola nut(Yoruba:obi,Dagbani:guli,Hausa:goro,Igbo:ọjị,Sängö:gôro,Swahili:mukezu) is the seed of certain species of plant of the genusCola,placed formerly in thecocoafamilySterculiaceaeand now usually subsumed in the mallow familyMalvaceae(as subfamilySterculioideae). Thesecolaspecies aretreesnative to the tropicalrainforestsofAfrica.Theircaffeine-containing seeds are about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) across and are used as flavoring ingredients in variouscarbonated soft drinks,from which the namecolaoriginates.

General description

Cola acuminatain flower: colored plate fromKöhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen

Cola acuminatain fruit, also fromKöhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen

Kola nuts spread out for sale in the central market inOuagadougou,Burkina Faso

The kola nut is a caffeine-containing nut of evergreen trees of the genusCola,primarily of the speciesCola acuminataandCola nitida.Cola acuminata,an evergreen tree about 20 meters in height, has long, ovoid leaves pointed at both the ends with a leathery texture. The trees have cream-white flowers with purplish-brown striations, and star-shaped fruit consisting of usually 5follicles.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 andtheobromine,as well astannins,alkaloids,saponins,andflavonoids.

Uses

The kola nut has a bitter flavor and containscaffeine.The nut is a nervous system stimulant and is chewed in manyWest Africancountries, in both private and social settings.It 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 also grow kola nuts in efforts to fight fatigue and hunger, while Brazilians and people of the West Indies use the nut as a remedy for hangovers, intoxication, and diarrhea.

Infolk medicine,kola nuts are considered useful for aidingdigestionwhen ground and mixed with honey, and are used as a remedy forcoughs.

Kola nuts are perhaps best known toWestern cultureas a flavoring ingredient and one of the sources of caffeine incolaand other similarly flavored beverages, although kola nut extract is no longer claimed on the labels of major commercial cola drinks such asCoca-Cola.

History

Human use of the kola nut, like thecoffee berryandtea leaf,appears to have ancient origins.The spread of the kola nut across North Africa seems to be connected to the spread of Islam across North Africa during the 17th century, as trading across the Mediterranean became established. The kola nut was particularly useful on slave ships to improve the taste of water, as enslaved Africans were often given poor quality water to drink.A French voyager named Chevalier Des Marchais, who traveled to West Africa in the late 1720s, noted that the nut made the, "bitterest, our sourest Things taste Sweet after it."These sweet alterations are attributed to the chemical substances that the nut adds to one's palate or the sheer amount of caffeine.

Kola nuts were used as an ingredient within Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola in 1886 and 1888 respectively.Kola nuts are an important part of the traditional spiritual practice, culture, and religion in West Africa, particularlyGhana,Niger,Nigeria,Sierra Leone,Democratic Republic of CongoandLiberia.

Cola recipe

Main article:Coca-Cola formula

Coca-Cola Advertisement, 1886

In the 1880s, a pharmacist in Georgia,John Pemberton,took caffeine extracted from kola nuts andcocaine-containing extracts fromcocaleaves and mixed them with sugar, other flavorings, andcarbonated waterto inventCoca-Cola,the first widely popularcolasoft drink.Although the exact details of its cola recipe remain confidential, as of 2016, theCoca-Cola formulano longer contained actual kola nut extract,and an independent test conducted to identify it failed to detect its signature proteins.

Cultivation

Originally a tree of thetropical rainforest,it needs a hot humid climate, but can withstand a dry season on sites with a high ground water level. It may be cultivated in drier areas where groundwater is available.C. nitidais a shade bearer, but develops a better spreading crown which yields more fruits in open places. Though it is a lowland forest tree, it has been found at altitudes over 300 m on deep, rich soils under heavy and evenly distributed rainfall.

Regular weeding is necessary, which can be performed manually or through the use ofherbicides.Some irrigation can be provided to the plants, but it is important to remove the water through an effective drainage system, as excess water may prove to be detrimental for the growth of the plant. When not grown in adequate shade, the kola nut plant responds well to fertilizers. Usually, the plants need to be provided with windbreaks to protect them from strong gales.

Kola nuts can be harvested mechanically or by hand, by plucking them at the tree branch. Nigeria produces 52.4% of worldwide production followed by the Ivory Coast and Cameroon.When kept in a cool, dry place, kola nuts can be stored for a long time.

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.

Pests and diseases

The nuts are subject to attack by the kola weevilBalanogastris kolae.The larvae of the mothCharacoma strictigraptathat also attacks cacao bore into the nuts. Traders sometimes apply an extract of the bark ofRauvolfia vomitoriaor the pulverised fruits ofXylopiaandCapsicumto counteract the attack on nursery plants. The cacao pestsSahlbergellaspp. have been found also onC. nitidaas an alternative host plant. While seeds are liable to worm attack, the wood is subject to borer attack.

Kola nut production, 2022

Country	tonnes
Nigeria	174,108
Ivory Coast	58,641
Cameroon	48,571
Ghana	24,644
Sierra Leone	8,450
World	315,024

Production

In 2022, world production of kola nuts was 315,024 tonnes (694,509,000 lb), led by Nigeria with 55% of the total (table).

Chemical composition

Preliminary studies ofphytochemicalsin kola nut indicate the presence of various constituents:caffeine(2–3.5%),theobromine(1.0–2.5%),theophylline,methylliberine,polyphenols,catechins,andphlobaphens(kola red), among others.

Society and culture

Used in cultural traditions of theIgbo people,the presentation of kola nuts to guests or in a traditional gathering shows good will.It is implemented inYoruba religionboth as an offering toorishasand as an instrument ofdivination.

A kola nut ceremony is briefly described inChinua Achebe's 1958 novelThings Fall Apart.The eating of kola nuts is referred to at least ten times in the novel, showing the kola nut's significance in pre-colonial 1890s Igbo culture in Nigeria. One of these sayings on kola nut inThings Fall Apartis "He who brings kola brings life."It is also featured prominently inChris Abani's 2004 novelGraceLand.The kola nut is also mentioned inThe Color PurplebyAlice Walker,although it is spelled "cola".

The kola nut is mentioned inBloc Party's song "Where is Home?" on the albumA Weekend in the City.The lyric, setting a post-funeral scene for the murder of a black boy in London, reads, "After the funeral, breaking kola nuts, we sit and reminisce about the past." The kola nut is mentioned in theAt the Drive-Insong "Enfilade" on the albumRelationship of Command.The kola nut is repeatedly mentioned inChimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novelHalf of a Yellow Sun,which also features the phrase: "He who brings the Kola nut brings life."

Gallery

• 
  Seeds of true / "female" kola (=Cola acuminata) compared and contrasted with those of bitter / "male" kola (=Garcinia kola)
• 
  Cocoa pod: fruit of (true) kola relativeTheobroma cacaobisected to show similarity of structure to that of fruit ofCola acuminata

External links

• Cola acuminata- (P.Beauv.) Schott & Endl., Plants For A Future, 2012
• The Rise and Fall of Cocaine Cola

• ColainWest African plants – A Photo Guide.