The !Nara is a thorny shrub that is endemic to the Namib Desert.The harsh desert conditions have formed a desert adapted plant, that grows on dune hammocks has up to 100 meter root systems , no leaves, small  flowers but very nutritious fruit with seeds full of valuable oil…

The fruit are harvested as a valuable food source by the Topnaar (#Aonin) living along the Kuiseb river. The seeds are sold as snacks to the local community or fairly traded with desert hills, a Swakopmund based company that was initiated in 2007 by Volker & Stefanie Huemmer . Desert hills adds value to the seed sales by pressing a fine virgin oil that is used in a variety of food and natural cosmetic products sold under the name “desert hills –food” and “BODYfoodNAMIBIA” .

The !Nara seeds are cold-pressed in a special patented spiral press without the use of solvents, chemicals or additives. The press technique allows the oil to keep its valuable healthy vitamins, pigments and flavors.
Tests (PPECB certificate no 57212 ANLA 0808) have shown that the oil has over 80% unsaturated fatty acids, with 58% being poly unsaturated and that it has a acidity of 0.5.