Bitter Sweet

The Story of West Africa Through the Kola Nut

The beautifully written global history of a uniquely West African nut.

The beautifully written global history of a uniquely West African nut.

The kola nut is a seed indigenous to West Africa, chewed by ancient caravan travellers to survive their harsh desert journeys, the ‘Cola’ in Coca-Cola. From Senegal to Cameroon, it is woven into community life, customs and cuisine.

Searching for stories about this caffeine-rich seed to better understand her West African home, acclaimed author Ayesha Harruna Attah takes readers along the Niger River, through the red sands of the Sahel and across the Atlantic Ocean. She traces her family’s roots as kola traders and cultivators in Ghana’s forests and savannah. Encountering craftspeople, cultural custodians and descendants of enslaved people who travelled with kola to the Americas, she discovers what this unique commodity reveals about identity and tradition—and about the region’s place in a messy, interconnected world. Along the way, she begins to fall in love with West Africa.

Blending history, travelogue and cultural exploration, Attah shows us that after that first bitter bite of kola always comes sweetness.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
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International Delivery:

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Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

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