kola nuts
African caffeine source
Kola nuts are the seeds of the kola tree, native to tropical Africa, containing caffeine and traditionally chewed as a stimulant.
They have significant cultural importance in West African societies, where they're offered as symbols of hospitality and used in ceremonies.
Kola nuts were originally used to flavor cola beverages, giving the drinks their name, though most modern colas use synthetic flavorings instead.
- slavesPersons owned by others
- GhanaWest African republic
- shea butterTree nut skin emollient
- ivoryTusk-derived material
- textilesWoven or knit materials
tribal chiefs · spices · caffeine · ancestral worship · theobromine · alkaloid · hospitality · sacred groves · palm oil · griots · trans-Saharan trade · salt trade · caravans · trade goods · Nigeria · stimulant · energy boost · brown
- African farmingmaize, cassava, sorghum, millet, yams
- African Tradeivory, gold, slaves, cowrie shells, salt
- West African culturekente cloth, fufu, voodoo, griots, talking drums
- YorubaOyo Empire, orisha, orishas, Lagos, talking drums
- GhanaAccra, Ashanti, Gold Coast, Western, Central
- Saharan historySonghai, trans-Saharan, Sahel, gold mines, caravan trade
kola nutscoffee beans
Roasted seeds for brewing
tea leaves · cacao beans · guarana · yerba mate · herbal tea
kola nutschamomile
Soothing herbal infusion plant
valerian root · kava · lavender · passionflower · hops