Colanut 50 grams: the bitter seed of the Cola tree
Kola nuts grow on evergreen trees of the genus Cola, which reach 13 to 20 metres in the humid forests of West Africa. The fruit is a firm pod of roughly 18 to 20 centimetres, and the seeds inside it are what the trade calls kola nuts. Their colour runs from white and pink through to deep red and brown, depending on species and origin. Two species supply most of the harvest: Cola nitida, whose seed splits into two cotyledons, and Cola acuminata, with three to six. Both belong to the mallow family (Malvaceae), although older books still file them with the cacao family. The tree is now grown far beyond Africa as well, in Jamaica, Brazil and India.
In West Africa the nut means considerably more than a piece of merchandise. It is offered to visitors as a mark of respect, shared at births, naming ceremonies and funerals, and passed around to seal the peace after a dispute; in some markets it even served as currency. Labourers chew a piece during the working day against hunger and fatigue. The wider world met the nut through pharmacist John Pemberton, who in 1886 flavoured a syrup with kola and coca extract: the first Coca-Cola. Most soft drink manufacturers now work with synthetic cola flavourings instead.
What you get and how it is used
This bag holds 50 grams of kola nut. The traditional approach is to chew a small piece slowly; the taste is firmly bitter and grows more aromatic the longer you chew. Ground, it can be stirred through coffee, tea or hot chocolate, with honey if the bitterness is too much for you. The nut naturally contains caffeine, theobromine and tannins, the same group of compounds you find in cocoa and tea, so keep that in mind if you are sensitive to caffeine or drinking late in the day. Store the bag closed, cool and dark. If you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your doctor or pharmacist first.
About the herbs at Avalon
At Avalon Magic Plants the kola nut sits with the energy herbs, next to Yerba Maté 100 gram, Guarana Powder (50 grams) and Ginseng 20 gram. For the same corner of the shop in another form, have a look at Gotu Kola 50 gram or the 1:1 herbal tinctures in 10 ml bottles with a dropper. Every order leaves our warehouse discreetly packed.
