The kola nut supplied caffeine to Coca-Cola’s original formula and inspired the word “cola.”
Kola nuts are seeds from African trees of the genus Cola, especially Cola nitida and Cola acuminata. They contain roughly 2% to 4% caffeine and have a naturally bitter taste. In the late nineteenth century, kola-nut caffeine was combined with coca-leaf extract, sugar, flavorings, and carbonated water in the drink associated with John Pemberton.
The name Coca-Cola reflects two original botanical references: “coca” for coca leaves and “kola” for kola nuts. Frank Mason Robinson, Pemberton’s bookkeeper, is credited with choosing the alliterative name and designing the familiar Spencerian script logo.
Kola nut is often confused with cocoa because both are seeds and both appear in food history, but they are different plants. Guarana is another caffeine-rich seed, yet it is native to South America and did not supply the ingredient behind the word “cola.” Modern commercial cola formulas may use added caffeine or other flavoring systems rather than actual kola-nut extract.