Kola nut
Cola nitida
A West African tree seed, historically chewed as a caffeine bitter and a flavor origin of cola drinks. Not gotu kola (Centella). Not a garden nut in the U.S.
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
What it is
A West African tree seed, historically chewed as a caffeine bitter and a flavor origin of cola drinks. Not gotu kola (Centella). Not a garden nut in the U.S.
Edible portions
- seeds chewed traditionally; extracts in beverages
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. 10–12 tropical West Africa
- Light. Tropical
- Soil. Tropical
- Planting. Not a backyard crop in temperate zones.
- Harvest. Pods; seeds.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Traditional chew; flavoring extracts
Nutrition and compounds
- Plant compounds. caffeine, theobromine. Presence is not a dose, a cure, or a reason to buy a capsule.
AAA interpretation Food first. These associations explain why a plant shows up in a nutrient conversation — they are not a supplement shopping list.
Safety
- Caffeine seed. Not Centella. Not a children’s snack.
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- USDA FoodData Central — nutrient profiles for foods (verify current entries; this page does not invent milligrams)
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class A. Strong page: distinctive plant facts plus practical growing or kitchen use.