This soft drink really does not belong on this site or in my collection as it is not made with kola. In Algeria, however, the drink competes with colas over market shares. Selecto is the second best selling soft drink in Algeria, behind Coca-Cola but ahead of Pepsi-Cola.

Selecto is branded as an apple essence soda and contains isoamyl acetate. This is naturally found in banana plants and the flavour of Selecto is sometimes described as being closer to banana than apple. Selecto also contains caramel which gives it a cola color.

Selecto has been produced since 1907 by Algerian soft drink manufacturer Hamoud Boualem. It is very popular in Algeria and is exported to France, UK, and Canada.

Hamoud Boualem produces a variety of non-alcoholic beverages of which Selecto is the best selling. The company was founded in 1878 by Youssef Hamoud who started making sparkling water and lemonade. The company is still entirely owned by the Hamoud Family.

In Kenneth’s collection

I have a 1.5 l plastic bottle (exp. 1 June, 2018), purchased in France, September 2019.