Argan Oil Benefits for Skin, Hair and Body.

What is Argan Oil?

Argan oil is pressed from the nut of the fruit of the Argan Tree, which is only found in Morocco. The argan tree lives to be about 150 to 200 years old and does not start producing the fruit until it is 30 to 50 years old. Because the tree is found only in a limited area, the oil itself is quite rare.

What do Goats Have to Do With it?

Morocco's mountain goat, called the Tamri goat, eats the fruit of the Argan tree. The goats literally climb the tree to get to the nut. Sometimes ten or more at a time in one tree. For a tree that only grows to be about 35 feet tall, that's a lot of goats.

The argan oil producers would take the droppings of the goats, which had the seed completely undigested, and use that to produce the argan oil. While we're sure that is still practiced today, we are hearing that some argan oil producers  are producing the oil without the help of goats.

Argan Oil as a Food

Argan oil is nutty tasting oil that is good for sprinkling in salads, dipping bread in and used in many dishes. Here are a few recipes that include argan oil.

• This Moroccan tagine recipe calls for argan oil, a light, nutty oil which is exclusive to Morocco. While the argan oil imparts a unique flavor, olive oil or walnut oil can also be used. Beef or goat meat may be substituted for the lamb.
  Tagine of Lamb and Olives is best prepared in a traditional Moroccan tagine (use a diffuser if cooking stovetop), but good results can be achieved by slow-cooking in a heavy-bottomed pot. Avoid high heat when cooking with argan or walnut oil.
  Scoop up the tagine with Moroccan bread, and try serving it with Belgian French Fries heaped on top.
  
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