Scho-Ka-Kola

Scho-Ka-Kola

Scho-Ka-Kola canister
Product type	Confectionery
Owner	Scho-Ka-Kola GmbH
Country	Berlin, Germany
Introduced	1936
Markets	Germany
Website	scho-ka-kola.de

Scho-Ka-Kola is a German brand of bitter-sweet dark chocolate consumed for its strong caffeine and kola nut mix. The chocolates have a caffeine content of about 0.2 percent, which is derived from the cocoa content of 58 percent and the addition of 2.6 percent roast coffee and 1.6 percent kola nut. The chocolate is divided into wedges held in a round metal canister. The red-and-white container design and recipe have changed very little since the original launch in 1936.

Scho-Ka-Kola (for Schokolade–Kaffee–Kolanuss) was created in 1935 and patented by the Hildebrand, Kakao- und Schokoladenfabrik manufacturer, established by chocolatier Theodor Hildebrand (1791-1854) in Alt-Berlin. It was introduced at the 1936 Summer Olympics as a performance-enhancing energy "Sport Chocolate" (German Sportschokolade). It was also produced by the chocolate manufacturer B. Sprengel & Co. in Hannover, who in 1936 was recognized as an important pre-war economy operation, as well as produced by other German chocolate manufacturers.

In World War II, Scho-Ka-Kola was colloquially known as the "Aviator Chocolate" (German Fliegerschokolade), as it was commonly provided with Luftwaffe pilot and crew rations, to induce or extend wakefulness and alertness, especially on night-bombing missions, and was also issued to flight-crews in blue canisters as emergency sea-survival rations (German Seenotpackung).

Scho-Ka-Kola was also issued during World War II to German tank crews, as well as German U-boat crews and the German Army. During the occupation period it was also distributed to the German population by the Allies. German Wehrmacht-issue World War II Scho-Ka-Kola tin containers are highly sought after by collectors.