Today I planted a kola nut tree, a rather large one that I got from Joe. This tree can grow to about 60 feet tall with low spreading branches.
In 1886 an American pharmacist named John Stith Pemberton concocted a sugary drink using cocaine and kola nut which later became the recipe for Coca-Cola. Kola nut contains many alkaloids found in green tea, coffee and chocolate namely caffeine which stimulates the body, and theobromine, kolatin and kolanin which stimulates the heart.
For thousands of years kola nuts were chewed on by tribesmen in West Africa for a boost of energy and increased awareness. The nuts were a highly valued commodity and was even used as a currency. The nuts were brought overseas to be gifted to kings.
I do not drink Coca-Cola these days because I avoid high fructose corn syrup containing drinks and it definitely does not have kola nuts or coca listed in the ingredients list.
Maybe when the kola nuts start producing I could invent a new energy bar using chocolate, coffee and kola nuts.
Originally posted on 2021-12-13, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.