Pakola facts for kids
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| Type | Cola |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Pakistan |
| Introduced | 14 August 1950 |
| Color | Green |
| Flavor | Ice-cream Soda |
| Variants | Pakola Fresh Lime Pakola Orange Pakola Raspberry Pakola Ice-cream Soda Pakola Lychee Pakola Pomegranate |
| Related products | Exported to United States Africa Australia Afghanistan Canada Middle East New Zealand United Kingdom |
Pakola is a popular fizzy drink from Pakistan. Its name comes from "Pakistan-Cola". It's known for its unique ice-cream soda flavor and green color.
Contents
The Story of Pakola
How Pakola Began
Pakola was created by seven brothers from the Teli family. They moved to Pakistan from India in 1947. The idea for Pakola came from Haji Ali Mohammad. He wanted to make a drink that truly showed the taste of Pakistan.
Launching the Drink
Pakola was first launched on 14 August 1950. This was Pakistan's Independence Day. The launch happened at a Pakistan Air Force Base. The first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was there.
Growing Popularity
In the early 1960s, people found a new way to enjoy Pakola. They started mixing it with cold milk. This mix was often served in jugs during 'iftars'. Iftars are evening meals during the month of Ramadan. This new way of drinking Pakola made it even more popular.
Making Pakola Today
The company Pakistan Beverages (PB) started making Pakola in Karachi. Later, in 1979, PB began making Pepsi. So, a new company called Mehran Bottlers was formed. Mehran Bottlers continued to make Pakola. They also made other drinks like Apple Sidra and Bubble Up.
Zafar Habib and Arif Habib, Haji Ali Mohammad's nephews, managed Mehran Bottlers. In 2004, both Mehran Bottlers and Pakistan Beverages started making drinks in cans. Zeeshan Z. Habib became the chief executive officer of Mehran Bottlers in 2004. Today, Mehran Bottlers still produces Pakola.
Different Flavors of Pakola
Pakola has introduced many different flavors over the years:
- Pakola Ice Cream Soda (first made in 1950)
- Pakola Orange (1985)
- Pakola Raspberry (1985)
- Pakola Lychee (1991)
- Pakola Fresh Lime (2006)
- Pakola Water (2015)
- Pakola Pomegranate (2016)
- Pakola Vimto
- Apple Sidra
- Forest (Club Soda)
What's in Pakola?
Pakola is made with several ingredients. These include carbonated water and sugar. It also has citric acid and artificial cream soda flavor. The green color comes from food colors like FD&C Bleu No 1 (E 133) and FD&C Yellow No.5 (E 102). Sodium benzoate is added to keep it fresh.
A typical can of Pakola (250 ml) has about 34 grams of sugar. It also has 15 mg of sodium. It contains no fat or cholesterol. Each can has about 130 calories.
Where Pakola is Sold
Pakola is now sold in many countries around the world. You can find it in America, Africa, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It is the only fizzy drink made in Pakistan that is sold globally.
Why Glass Bottles Disappeared
In 2013, a new tax was introduced in Pakistan. This tax was on the machinery used to make drinks. It affected companies that made fewer products. Because of this tax, Pakola stopped making drinks in glass bottles.
After the tax system changed, Mehran Bottlers quickly started making drinks in PET plastic bottles. This helped them get back into the market.
