Cola is a generic name for a sweet carbonated beverage containingextract from the cola nut (cola extract) and other flavorings. Thebest known cola beverages are Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola, but severalother cola brands are produced world wide.
Some colas are flavored with fruit juices like cherry cola. Clearcolas without color are often referred to as crystal cola.
The cola nut (kola nut) is a nut grown on Colaacuminata and Cola nitida, evergreen trees of the cocoafamily (Sterculiaceae). The tree is native to tropical Africaand cultivated extensively in the American tropics. The 2 inch longbrown nut, containing caffeine, tannin and theobromine, is collectedby hand and dried in the sun for commercial use, mainly as aningredient of soft drinks and medicine. American and Europeansoft-drink manufacturers, however, do not use the cola nut. Instead,they manufacture synthetic chemicals that resemble the flavor of thecola nut.