The humble nut that started Cola Wars

Discover the history and significance of the kola nut, from traditional rituals to its role in creating Coca-Cola.

The kola nut contains caffeine and the trees of the coca family are found in tropical Africa. Regarding its features, kola nuts are oblong in shape and each fruit contains between two and five kola nuts. It leads to a euphoric state of mind when ingested. These nuts have not only been popular in West Africa but they were widely accepted when they came to Europe and the U.S. more than a hundred years ago.

The kola nut goes beyond the red and yellow seed for the Igbo people, one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. It is a food that is eaten with relish (eating with joy) and symbolises togetherness, love and trust. Even if the guest is less than one, more than one kola nut needs to be served. The presentation of the kola is followed by a prayer recited by the eldest person present. Once the prayer gets over, the kola nut is broken into various lobes which are then distributed and chewed. It is bitter when chewed raw, but when dried, the bitterness is mellowed. If sources are to be believed, the kola nut was initially planted by Chukwu ( The Almighty)  as the first tree on the Igbo land. It was also planted as a medium of communication between gods, spirits, and human beings. Another myth states that the gods lived on the kola nuts and sacrifices. To invoke the presence of the gods, humans offered sacrifices to meet their needs.  During one of these invocations and the gods’ presence in Igbo territory, they left behind some of the kola nuts they had brought along with them to consume. The kola nut then went on to become a cherished tree in the Igbo territory. 

In  1885, John Pemberton, a pharmacist in Georgia, suffered wounds during the Battle of Columbus. To relieve the pain, he experimented with painkillers. During the process, he extracted caffeine from kola nuts and coca leaves containing cocaine and mixed them with sugar, other flavourings, and carbonated water to invent Coca-Cola. The exact details of how he discovered kola nuts are not known. In the beginning of the 20th Century, cocaine was removed from the drink fearing children would be addicted. Eventually, the kola nut extract was also reduced to a small amount, as it was expensive and gave a bitter flavour to the drink.

 Today, Coca-Cola does have the extracts of the kola nut. The ingredients used in the soft drink are heavily guarded. However, the company has been using an artificial flavour to give a sweetening taste to the cool drink.

The kola nuts were being shipped to Europe and the US in tonnes by the late 19th Century. They made their way into medicinal drinks like Co’s “Forced March” tablets to give an energy boost. Those who consumed the tonic were advised to take one an hour if they were going through mental and physical stress. It was claimed that the kola nuts treat fatigue, anxiety, constipation, and coughs and asthma. However, all these claims are yet to be scientifically proven. In fact, the kola nut extract is classified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a natural food flavouring agent.

As of 2022, the production of kola nuts stands at 3,15,024 tonneswith Nigeria being the largest producer at 55%.