Coca

Coca is a tropical mountain evergreen shrub with an average plant height of about 2-4 meters and a height of up to 5 meters. The leaves of coca have 3 longitudinal veins, and the middle one will appear reddish-brown on the back of the leaf. To say that it is unique is not very prominent, but the personality of coca leaves is not in the appearance but in its connotation.

Speaking of "Coca Cola", it is a drink that too many people's eyes immediately light up as soon as they hear it, and the refreshing energy of a bottle of ice cola in summer instantly disintegrates with a full of energetic "Hiccup~" heat and boredom. The "Cola" in "Coca Cola" represents the meaning of cola drinks, so the "Coca" who appeared first is not just a decoration without a story.

First, Coca, it turned out to be it

Coca is a plant, the full name in English is also called: Coca Leaf, Leaf is well understood is the leaves of plants, then Coca Leaf is also the leaves of a plant, this plant is coca.

coca

The name coca alone does not sound like a plant, because it is not very likely to be mentioned and people are not very familiar. Coca, a plant with a retro and chic name, comes from an equally less popular phylum, the sinister seedling.

Although the name of the saplings is unknown, it also belongs to a branch under the Rosaceae. But the schores themselves are indeed a small order of dicotyledons, and the largest family under it is the schocotyledons, and the more famous in the schotophyllaceae is this geranium.

Coca, on the other hand, comes from the coca family that has no "brand-name" products. Although not well known, the coca family is also subdivided into two parts, one is the genus Muca and the other is the genus Coca.

Although it is not often heard, the coca genus is also a rich team of 200 species, and coca is one of the two hundredths.

Coca is a tropical mountain evergreen shrub with an average plant height of about 2-4 meters and a height of up to 5 meters. The leaves of coca have 3 longitudinal veins, and the middle one will appear reddish-brown on the back of the leaf. To say that it is unique is not very prominent, but the personality of coca leaves is not in the appearance but in its connotation.

Coca leaves contain an ingredient that we are all familiar with, which is cocaine, the content is about 0.64% ~ 1.48%, coca contains 1-cocaine, cinnamoyl cocaine, α- or β-xixica base, grass cocaine, etc.

Among them, 1-cocaine, cinnamoyl cocaine, α- or β-xicoca base can be hydrolyzed to produce sparkine ine, while grass cocaine can be methylated and benzoylated to produce cocaine.

Coca leaf, famous

In fact, the name is not small, because this cocaine is also called cocaine, its chemical name is benzyl sprout line, the scientific name is also called benzoyl sprout line.

Because of these famous ingredients, coca is unknown but has been transferred to 66, and because these ingredients are concentrated in the leaves of coca, coca is named Coca Leaf after its leaves.

Second, "cocoa essence", the most important alkaloids

In 1860, German chemist Alert Niemann first isolated cocaine, commonly known as "cocoa essence", from coca leaves, and cocaine was fried once it was discovered, becoming the most important alkaloid.

The reason why it is so important is that this salt is white crystal-like, odorless, slightly bitter and numb, soluble in water and alcohol, is a strong central nervous system stimulant, strong excitatory effect, can also block nerve conduction, so it can be used as a local anesthetic in medicine.

The northern and central Andes mountains in South America are the original hotbeds of coca bushes, which have well-developed root systems, strong vitality, dense leaves, 3-7 cm long, oblong oval, smooth edges, and their shape and taste are similar to tea.

Coca leaves can generally be picked 3-4 times a year, usually in March, June, September, and November, and each tree can be picked for about 40 years, which is also quite a "tough guy". 

In fact, before scientists isolated cocaine, the coca plant appeared in Ecuador as early as 5,000 years ago, and was regarded as a "holy grass" by the indigenous people of the Andes - the ancient Indians.

The "holy grass" of the Paleo-Indians

The ancient Indians have had the habit of chewing coca leaves since ancient times, in order to refresh the mind, eliminate fatigue and increase physical strength.

In addition to enhancing physical excitability, ancient Indians also chewed coca leaves to ward off the cold, cure diseases, and reduce discomfort caused by stomach cramps, rheumatism, headaches, etc.

But chewing and chewing the ancient Indians found that the leaves of coca were bitter, which gave rise to a higher pursuit. In order to reduce the bitter taste of coca leaves, they often mix coca leaves with lime, plant ash or shell ash and chew, especially when climbing, in order to eliminate or reduce the symptoms of alpine sickness.

Although this coca is ancient, the opportunity to chew coca leaves is not equal, and it was only the privilege of the local royal family in the early days, and it was only after the 16th century that it was popularized among the general commoners, including Spanish immigrants.

Coca is now an integral part of indigenous culture, and 90 per cent of Indians still have a penchant for chewing coca leaves, just as many of us love to chew betel nuts.

Chewing coca leaves has gradually become a daily habit for about 8 million people in northwestern Argentina, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru and the Amazon Valley.

Third, coca leaves, good and bad

Bolivia, which is part of South America with Ecuador, also has an indissoluble bond with coca. From the plantations of Coroico to La Paz, you can see the whole process of coca leaf from growing to being processed into items such as cosmetics and cocaine.

About 40 per cent of the coca leaves in Bolivia are used to make cocaine, but the people here are quite simple, growing coca only to make a basic living, and they only think that the plants they grow are only used for harmless purposes.

Local coca plantations

Perhaps this is just a self-paralysis by the locals to survive, because in this area, because of the boom in coca cultivation, there are not only leaves laden with active ingredients, but also the police and drug dealers who trade generously.

Bolivian President Evo Morales has advocated for a multifaceted understanding of coca and taught people about its use in beauty and medicine.

In Bolivia, there is the same habit of the ancient Indians, chewing coca leaves, but they do not regard it too much as a custom or culture, but purely as a necessity for life.

A significant number of minors in Bolivia work in dangerous conditions for silver mines. In the not-so-good silver mines, the stress response to survival quickly made them realize that coca leaves could be used to treat altitude sickness, increase energy, and relieve hunger after long hours of labor.

Cocaine in coca can be used as an anesthetic and has an excitatory effect on the cerebral cortex, which can produce euphoria