Hello! Today we will tell you about a nut, which
is practically unknown to Russians, but a carbonated drink is well known, in which it
was once a part. It's about the Cola nut. This nut is the seeds of the African Cola
tree, dried and processed in a special way. Since cola trees do not grow in temperate
latitudes, you can buy a medicinal nut in Russia only in specialized stores.
Today, the name of the cola nut is probably familiar to every civilized inhabitant of
our planet, since it was thanks to this plant that the popular Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola
were born. It was the nut extract that gave the drink its sweetness and tonic effect.
Of course, modern producers of these drinks have completely replaced the natural component,
cola nut, with a chemical equivalent. The manufacturer had to abandon the use of the
walnut. Firstly, there were difficulties with transportation, and secondly, the cost of
the product was so high that it influenced the price of the finished drink. Therefore,
cola was replaced by sugar, chemical preservatives and other achievements of the gastronomic
industry. Today, you will be able to taste the real
invigorating taste of the nut only in a chocolate bar. This nut is used to make energy drinks
and tablets, special chocolate for people whose professional activities are associated
with increased physical activity. For athletes, geologists, climbers, pilots and others. It
perfectly tones and invigorates, increases the body's endurance and accelerates recovery
processes, has a positive effect on the functioning of the brain and the entire nervous system.
The history of kola nut use is as ancient and rich as that of tea and coffee. Some experts
claim that the cola fruit resembles cocoa beans in its properties. The cola nut began
to spread across the planet from the western shores of Africa. It is this territory that
is considered his homeland. In the process of the enslavement of African peoples by American
settlers, this nut quickly spread throughout America, where the main labor force was made
up of immigrants from the territories located along the coast of the Congo.
Having taken root in America, this tonic nut began to be cultivated in other regions of
the world with a humid tropical climate - in India, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, a number
of territories in Oceania and in colonial Africa. Today, cola is grown commercially
in Guinea - there are plantations where the nut is carefully cared for.
It is also grown in other African countries. So, the annual production in
Nigeria is 100 thousand tons of "nuts", and in Cote d'Ivoire - 30 thousand tons. The largest
cola producers also include Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia. For these countries,
cola is one of the most profitable crops and an important export product.
The best product is considered to be grown in the regions of its origin - Nigeria, Cameroon,
Benin and Congo. Quality goods are also supplied by plantations in India and Sri Lanka.
This plant was first seen by Europeans traveling across Africa. They were amazed at its invigorating
properties, and the fame of the miraculous plant that mysteriously satisfies hunger,
gives strength, drives away fatigue has spread throughout the world. I must say that the
effect of preparations based on Cola Nut does not appear immediately, but its effect lasts
longer. For many years in Europe, tales of magical
properties were considered walnut with colonial tales and took this fruit
seriously only after the colonel of the French army
in his report the authorities described in detail the properties
of the fruit. He reported that when climbing Mount Kanga, eating a powder of crushed
walnut that helped him move without fatigue for 12 hours.
This fact served the impetus for the study of an extraordinary
plant. The West African peoples use the fruits of
Kola nitida during religious ceremonies and weddings, harvest festivals and funerals.
A guest entering the house must be presented with a handful of nuts. The product is believed
to help communicate with the gods and ancestral spirits. The priests of local cults call the
stake fruit "the king of all seeds." Over time, British sailors began to carry
this nut to different countries. They also learned about him in the east. The Europeans
liked these nuts so much that they began to grow this plant in the territories of their
colonies. For example, the mass cultivation of the Cola tree in Java was due to the Dutch,
and in Cameroon due to the Germans. Thus, less than 100 years have passed since the
European acquaintance with the stake nut until the time of its active use.
As already mentioned, Kola Nut is a distant relative of cocoa, although in appearance
they are practically not similar to each other. The most valuable species of the genus Cola
nitida is Cola brilliant, which grows in West Africa, more precisely in its equatorial part.
Cola brilliant is an evergreen tree, the height of which reaches 15 -20 m, has large leaves.
Outwardly, the cola tree bears a resemblance to the chocolate tree - according to the classification
of plants, they are closely related. The leaves of the tree are elongated, leathery, with
dark veins, collected at the ends of the branches in sockets of 5 pieces. Oblong leaves in the
course of development acquire the shape of an ellipse.
The flowers of this plant are bell-shaped and small. Trees bloom throughout the year
and even during the tropical rain season. In their place, ovaries are formed, from which
large (up to three kilograms in weight) fruits develop and ripen over the course of 7-8 months.
Small bell-shaped flowers are formed. The buds collected from five petals are yellow
in color with three red veins. They gather in panicles, inside which the
seed later develops. This seed is called the cola nut. The tree begins to bear fruit from
the sixth to tenth year, and gives fruits for 50-60 years, sometimes more.
As the fruit ripens, the skin turns reddish brown and cracks. The fruit is a woody or
leathery nut, which is protected by five carpels. The fruits grow large and crack when ripe.
They have up to six pieces of red or white very large seeds, the length of which is 5
cm, and the width is 3 cm. Seeds without endosperm, with a red-brown, parchment-like glabrous
shell, enclosing one large embryo. The bulk of the seeds are 3-4 fleshy, flat-convex cotyledons
of the embryo, having a purple, pink, cream or almost white color.
But the variety of shades is hidden behind the dense brown walnut shells, which protect
the seeds from the harmful effects of the external environment. From one tree for one
harvest, you can collect 45 kilograms of fruit. The cola is slightly larger than the usual
walnut. Kernels are also eaten fresh and dried. They
are slowly chewed, savoring the unique taste, but the pulp is not swallowed, but spit out.
This is how the plant grows in the homeland. Those who do not like the too bitter taste
of the nut can use it to make a tonic tea. The nut ingredients quickly satisfy hunger
and increase the overall tone of the body, adding strength and vitality. The average
size of a standard dosage of kola nuts for a person is 1 to 6 grams three times a day.
After removing them from the trees, the peel of the fruit is cut and unripe nuts are extracted
from it. They undergo a special fermentation process that lasts five days. After that,
the nuts are dried and can be stored in this state for a long time.
In order for the outer shell to separate better from the kola nuts, they need to be soaked
in water for a day. You can also dry the fruit for a week, and then the nut will separate
on its own. After that, the cola kernels just need to be washed before additional processing.
Most often, kola nuts are sun-dried to reduce the bitter taste. However, some types of white
and red grains can even be eaten freshly harvested to add some piquancy to a drink or ready-made
dish.
Only the cotyledons of this plant are a valuable raw material for the preparation of medicines.
They are harvested even before the fruits of the shiny cola ripen and crack, that is,
unripe fruits are harvested. Cola nuts can be picked mechanically or by
hand by plucking them from a tree branch. To prevent valuable nuts from breaking when
falling to the ground, planters stretch special nets around the trees or put bags that are
designed to soften the impact of the fruit on the ground. After that, the nuts are collected,
then sorted and washed thoroughly to remove all insects, because they can spoil the cola
fruit. It is in this form that cola nuts are shipped to a wide variety of countries - to
store shelves and markets. Such careful care of nuts is necessary because
the cost of cola is very high, they are literally sold by the piece. This type of agriculture
brings stable income to plantation owners, who sell nuts for export at a price of up
to 10 cents per fruit. An interesting fact is that cola nuts themselves
once served as currency in African countries. The
nut is used in various pharmaceutical forms. In places where cola is cultivated, simply
seeds are used as a tonic, which are chewed fresh.
You can find shops selling cola nuts on the Internet. The average price of one kilogram
is 5000 rubles. There are about 200 nuts in a kilogram, this is enough for about three
months, two nuts a day. You need to grind the nuts with a coffee grinder, they are very
hard. Ground nuts are also sold at a price of 750 rubles per one hundred and fifty gram
jar. Usually one or two teaspoons are dissolved in water or milk, drunk in the morning. The
effect of the action of nuts is up to 8 hours. Cola propagation is usually done by seed,
although grafting and grafting can be used. Seeds germinate slowly, seedlings appear only
after 7-12 weeks. In the early years plants develop slowly. Under normal conditions,
after 4 years they reach a height of only 1.8-3.0 m, so cola is often planted together
with other crops (cocoa, coffee, etc.). By the time the cola trees grow, these crops
will already have a good harvest. In cases where plantings are laid only from cola, it
is recommended to plant special shade trees. Cola nuts are widely used in cooking. They
are used as a seasoning for various meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Seed powder is
also added to confectionery. In some countries, alcoholic cocktails and tonic drinks are prepared
with cola. Due to the pleasant bitterness, such drinks have an indescribable tart shade.
Due to its high antioxidant effect, cola nut is used in various cosmetic products that
protect the skin and hair from damage. It is also used to increase libido and sex
drive. The nut contains two main substances that
give it its unusual properties, caffeine and theobromine. These are natural alkaloids that
have a stimulating effect on the human body - they activate the heart, tone up the nervous
system, dilate the bronchi and blood vessels. The amount of these substances in 100 g of
nuts is impressive - 3.5% caffeine and 2% theobromine. That's 10 times more than a cup
of instant coffee. Cola nuts have a number of beneficial properties.
When included in your diet, it can help you lose weight. Caffeine acts as a suppressant,
reducing appetite and promoting metabolism. The extracts extracted from it increase the
rate of metabolic processes and increase the heart rate. However, this effect is achieved
at low concentration and low doses. Cola nuts contain certain non-steroidal compounds
called phytoandrogens and phytoestrogens, which reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
These compounds lead to the death of cells infected with cancer. Moderate consumption
of walnuts improves the digestive process by increasing the production of gastric juice.
Due to these properties, it is used to treat dysentery and diarrhea.
Thus, caffeine improves well-being, helps to collect thoughts, improves concentration
and attention. The cola has gained particular popularity among Muslims who do not drink
alcohol. This wonderful stimulant is used even by the elderly who are struggling to
overcome the fatigue associated with age. So, Africans, chewing only one grain of cola,
can pass 80 km a day under the scorching sun. They
are sure that this life-giving nut can quench thirst, replace meat, purify
water, increase potency, detoxify after excessive use
alcohol. Despite all the beneficial properties, cola
nut has a number of contraindications. Like all products with caffeine
in the composition, it gradually becomes addictive (strength and resistance depends on the specific
organism). Thus, Kola Nut is a unique creation of nature
that can work miracles. With its help, you
can improve the quality of your life, get rid of depression, lift your spirits and return
your thirst for life. However, in order not to harm your health, you should strictly adhere
to the recommendations for the amount of product consumption in food, and also carefully study
all contraindications and side effects.