It used to be cocaine and a nut — how is cola flavored today?

(NEXSTAR) — Americans love cola-flavored beverages. After water and coffee, regular and diet cola drinks are among the most consumed, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows . Two major cola brands rank as the top-selling sodas in the U.S. , with just a 23-flavored brand between them.

Like bubblegum and blue moon ice cream , cola may be a beloved offering and easily identifiable flavor for you — but can you explain it?

A cola-flavored soda may be a little spicy to some or fruity to others. To some, cola may even be sweet. Or maybe, it’s just plain cola-flavored to you.

Ultimately, none of those descriptions are wrong. Cola, in most cases, is a combination of a handful of flavors, but it wasn’t always that way.

Cola has been around for more than 100 years, Sean O’Keefe , a professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Food Science and Technology, tells Nexstar.

In the late 1800s, Americans were introduced to its namesake: the kola nut.

Found in West Africa, the kola nut looks similar to cacao beans. Kola nuts contain caffeine, with some opting to chew on them for the stimulants.

The nuts quickly became ingredients in tonic medicines in the late 1800s, BBC reports , and were meant to boost energy. They were often mixed with another stimulant, leaves from the coca plant (yes, coca is extracted from these leaves to make cocaine ).

One such example can be seen below.

Dr. John Stith Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, combined coca leaves and kola nuts to make a syrup, which was mixed with carbonated water to what is now America’s favorite cola , Coca-Cola . Originally, the mixture also contained wine, but that was removed when prohibition set in. Then, Pemberton marketed the mixture as a “brain tonic” and a perfect temperance beverage.

Coca-Cola and other cola sodas no longer rely on coca leaves and kola nuts to flavor their beverages (some companies use a de-cocainized version of the coca leaves extract, which is manufactured in the U.S.). Instead, as O’Keefe explains, they use a “range of different flavorings.”

Often, that range includes vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and citrus oils. Recipes can vary, with companies frequently relying on one flavor more than another.

Coca-Cola, for example, has more of a nutmeg flavor, O’Keefe says, while Pepsi is more of a cinnamon flavor. In 1985, when Coca-Cola changed its formula and created what became known as “New Coke,” the company appeared to add more vanilla, O’Keefe explains.

Companies may also use different sweeteners. Coca-Cola and Pepsi , for example, use high fructose corn syrup. Coca-Cola imported from Mexico (earning the nickname Mexican Coca-Cola , or Mexicoke), uses sugar — which, O’Keefe explains, makes it “taste better.”

Unlike other products in the U.S. that require a standard of identity , O’Keefe says cola products aren’t required to fit a certain profile. It is, however, largely expected to contain caramel coloring (except, say, Crystal Pepsi ).

“So I could make a product that tastes like Orange Crush and call it a cola, just add a little bit of coloring,” he explains. “There’s nobody who’s going to knock on my door and tell me I can’t sell that.”

That also means you could make your own cola at home. This recipe featured in The New York Times calls for 13 ingredients: the zest of oranges, a lime, and a lemon; cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, lavender flowers, ginger, vanilla bean, citric acid, sugar, light brown sugar, and an optional caramel color powder. Other recipes call for coriander seeds, green coffee bean powder, browning sauce, cardamom, and maple syrup.

None, however, call for coca leaf extract.

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