Greetings, I want to start this post with saying that we are Òrìṣà devotees over here at Kola Grove. We started this platform 10 years ago as a way to bring obi stateside for a few of us and it's grown to something much bigger. We thank you. I set this as a baseline for how we sell and ship Obi.
First, WE WILL NEVER SHIP OBI THAT WE WOULDN'T USE OURSELVES. We painstakingly sort through thousands of kola nut EVERY shipment (It takes HOURS) and choose the best obi and either discard ones that we wouldn't use or use them for other purposes. The customer gets better Obi than we keep. Sometimes we lose, but we try to make sure this is an overall win for everyone.
We've tried to explain this before and i know we'll have to explain this more as more people have new experiences with obi:
Most, if not all, of the Kola Nut that Onisese use comes from West Africa. All of this Kola nut is harvested in a small 2-4 month period. This Obi is then stored, sold, passed around, etc for a whole year until next season, As we get later in the season, they are still good, but temperature changes are the enemy.
Kola nut is EXTREMELY sensitive to temperature changes, cold weather and abrupt humidity changes. They may be really nice when they leave us, but by the time they get to you a lot can change. These cold snaps, post office delays and handling by outsiders, wreak havoc on precious kola nut. We have and still receive pictures from customers who receive obi that look like they are 100 years old and they were just packed. As always, we stand by our kola nut and look to rectify these situations quickly and promptly.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: 1. Abeg... Please do not let your obi sit in mailboxes, ESPECIALLY if you live in colder environments. They will DIE. I say die, because they are living things. Would you leave flowers out in freezing temperatures, nope? This is the "food of the gods", please help us, help ourselves.
2. Track your obi as it is shipped. open them up, let them breathe, give them a welcome. Always check for condensation and moisture. The news paper they arrive in should be slightly damp and not wet. If they arrived bad, please take a picture and send them to us immediately. We have NEVER left anyone hanging for bad obi, even if the condition happened enroute to you.
Again, we are like the George Washington Carver's of Obi. LOL! We obsess about it and are in awe of what she can do.We hope you feel the same way.
As always, thank you for your patience and support. May the owner of the day accept your prayers.
Táíyé Kola Grove
Picture of what can happen to Kola Nut this time of year.
