How one of the world's largest companies climbed to power - Shantel George episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 29, 2026 · 7 MIN

How one of the world's largest companies climbed to power - Shantel George

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Dig into the bitter history of kola nuts, a sacred ingredient in West African culture and part of Coca-Cola's original recipe.--The kola nut is the seed of the kola tree, a small evergreen native to the forests of West Africa, where it’s long been integral to the cultural fabric of many communities. So, how did this sacred ingredient end up all around the world? And how did it make its way into the original recipe of a drink that billions of people consume every day? Shantel George explores the bitter history of kola nuts.Lesson by Shantel George, directed by Nikhita Prabhudesai Jeena, Totem Creative.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-seed-that-gave-coca-cola-its-name-shantel-georgeDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-seed-that-gave-coca-cola-its-name-shantel-george/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://www.totemcreative.in----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Vector-Dopamine math, Jasper Song, Giorgio Bugnatelli, Chardon, Eddy Trochez, OnlineBookClub.org, Eric Shear, Leith Salem, Omar Hicham, Adrian Rotaru, Brad Sullivan, Karen Ho, Niklas Frimberger, Hunter Manhart, Nathan Nguyen, Igor Stavchanskiy, James R DeVries, Grace Huo, Diana Huang, Chau Hong Diem, Orlellys Torre, Corheu, Thomas Mee, Maryann H McCrory, Blas Borde, John Hellmann, Poompak Meephian, Chuck Wofford, Adam Pagan, Wes Winn, Conder Shou, ntiger, Noname, Hansan Hu, David D, Mac Hyney, Keith Ellison, robin valero walters, Lynne Truesdale, Gatsby Dkdc, Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle, and Laurel-Ann Rice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dig into the bitter history of kola nuts, a sacred ingredient in West African culture and part of Coca-Cola's original recipe.--The kola nut is the seed of the kola tree, a small evergreen native to the forests of West Africa, where it’s long been integral to the cultural fabric of many communities. So, how did this sacred ingredient end up all around the world? And how did it make its way into the original recipe of a drink that billions of people consume every day? Shantel George explores the bitter history of kola nuts.Lesson by Shantel George, directed by Nikhita Prabhudesai Jeena, Totem Creative.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-seed-that-gave-coca-cola-its-name-shantel-georgeDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-seed-that-gave-coca-cola-its-name-shantel-george/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://www.totemcreative.in----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Vector-Dopamine math, Jasper Song, Giorgio Bugnatelli, Chardon, Eddy Trochez, OnlineBookClub.org, Eric Shear, Leith Salem, Omar Hicham, Adrian Rotaru, Brad Sullivan, Karen Ho, Niklas Frimberger, Hunter Manhart, Nathan Nguyen, Igor Stavchanskiy, James R DeVries, Grace Huo, Diana Huang, Chau Hong Diem, Orlellys Torre, Corheu, Thomas Mee, Maryann H McCrory, Blas Borde, John Hellmann, Poompak Meephian, Chuck Wofford, Adam Pagan, Wes Winn, Conder Shou, ntiger, Noname, Hansan Hu, David D, Mac Hyney, Keith Ellison, robin valero walters, Lynne Truesdale, Gatsby Dkdc, Matthew Neal, Denis Chon, Julian Oberhofer, Monte Carroll, Eddy, Jay M, Constantino Victor Delgado, Andrea Galvagni, Andrew Tweddle, and Laurel-Ann Rice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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How one of the world's largest companies climbed to power - Shantel George

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This episode was published on June 29, 2026.

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Dig into the bitter history of kola nuts, a sacred ingredient in West African culture and part of Coca-Cola's original recipe.--The kola nut is the seed of the kola tree, a small evergreen native to the forests of West Africa, where it’s long been...

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