The nut comes from the evergreen kola tree, which is found in the rainforests of Africa. Inside the tree's star-shaped fruits are white shells, which contain the seeds or kola nuts. In Nigeria, it is an important cultural symbol for many ethnic groups. It is given to guests at weddings, funerals, and naming ceremonies, and it is used in medicine. Ceremonial breaking of the kola nut is important for making people feel welcome in a village or gathering. Kola nuts contain caffeine and they can be used as replacement to coffee. Kola nuts can be consumed in a multitude of ways. The most basic is to simply chew on the whole nuts. However, kola nuts aren’t exactly praised for their innate taste and are known to be very bitter. For this reason, they are often mixed into beverages or taken with sweeter foods.
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