(or kola) a popular stimulant which comes from, and has traditionally been used in, W. Africa. Cola ‘nuts’, not real nuts but the interior part of the fleshy seeds of plants of the genus Cola (especially C. nitida and C. acuminata), are chewed fresh, or dried and ground to powder for making into a drink. They have a similar effect to tea or coffee, since they contain the same alkaloid, caffeine. They also contain smaller amounts of theobromine, as does the related cocoa ‘bean’, and of kolanin, a heart stimulant.
Cola trees are large and grow best in tropical rain forests. Of the two main species, C. nitida is cultivated over most of tropical W. Africa, and C. acuminata is grown as far south as Angola. The seeds may be pink, white, or purple, white being preferred. The taste is slightly bitter, but it is claimed that food eaten afterwards tastes sweet. Indeed, Smith (1886) stated that these seeds have the effect of causing water drunk afterwards to taste ‘like white wine and sugar’. A cola nut is often eaten before a meal for this sort of reason, and because it is said to have digestive properties.
Although the formulae of Coca-Cola and similar drinks are supposed to be secret, it seems safe to assume that they contain cola; see Pendergrast (1994).
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
Pendergrast, Mark (1994), For God, Country and Coca-Cola, London: Phoenix.
Smith, Edward (1886), Foods, London.
