INCA KOLA

Served with Lunch Today in Lima, Peru

Inca Kola (also known as "the Golden Kola" in international advertising) is a soft drink created in Peru in 1935 by British immigrant José Robinson Lindley using lemon verbena, although many believe that lemon grass, a herb native to India, is used. The soda has an unusual sweet fruity flavor sometimes compared to liquid bubblegum. It has been described as "an acquired taste" whose "intense colour alone is enough to drive away the uninitiated
The Coca-Cola now owns the Inca Kola trademark everywhere but in Peru. In Peru, the Inca Kola trademark is owned by Corporación Inca Kola Perú S.A., which since 1999 is a joint venture between the Coca-Cola Company and the Lindley family, former sole owners of Corporación Inca Kola Perú S.A. and Corporacion Jose R. Lindley S.A. Inca Kola is a source of national pride and patriotism in Peru, a national icon. Inca Kola is available in parts of South America, North America and Europe, and while it has not enjoyed major success outside of Peru, it can be found inLatin America shops worldwide. Inca Kola is yellowish-gold in color, and is sold in glass and plastic bottles of various sizes and cans of the same color with an Inca motif. The name "Inca Kola" refers to the "quechuan" (keshwan) words for king and queen. Quechuan is the language of the Incans.