A Few Facts About Delicious Monkey Kola.

Monkey kola is the name given to some uncommon Cola species which are native to West and Central Africa. It is called achicha, ochicha or ochiricha in Igbo.

• Monkey Kola grows more in the wild but can also be found around villages or homes.
• Monkey kola fruits have an edible pulp that can be yellow, white or red.
• Monkey kola pulps are crunchy with varying sweetness.
• Monkey kola with yellow pulp is called Cola parchycarpa and is the most common type.
• Monkey kola with white pulp is called Cola lepidota.
• Monkey kola with red pulp is called Cola lateritia and is the least common.
• Monkey kola is low in calories, only having 65 calories per 100g.
• The fruits are available from around June to November.
• Monkey kola fruits are highly nutritious. They are rich in minerals, vitamins and fiber. They contain calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and sodium. They contain vitamin A, C and some B vitamins.

The fruits are eaten but the leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat eye infections while the stem bark is used for oral hygiene and to treat tooth ache.

Although monkey kola is a scarce snack, it is highly nutritious, filling and delicious.

If you know more about monkey kola, please share below. Follow on Twitter @heal2bwell.