Argan Oil- my new love...

I had never heard of this stuff in the US. Then I came to Morocco and only knew that it was expensive, Europeans buy it for anti-aging properties, and that it's made from goat poop. (please keep reading- this is a RUMOR!)

I work in the Small Business Development sector here in Peace Corps Morocco. I love this sector because I'm fascinated by new and interesting products... especially artisan stuff. How it works(in my sector)... we all get assigned to towns where our job is to get to know the people, integrate into our communities and work with local artisans. I have weavers in my town. Another girl just happens to work with an Argan Oil co-op.

So we had a training in Agadir not long ago and she brought many of her fantastic and wonderful products with her. I took some time to learn about the process. I was also looking for some interesting gifts for family and friends when I travel back to America in a few weeks.

Here's what I learned:
1. Argan oil (atleast at her co-op- I can't speak for others) is NOT processed from goat poop. Here's the rumor... Argan nuts come in an extremely hard shell that cannot be broken up without first being processed through the digestive track of a goat. Then the women go through the fecal matter sorting the seeds and processing them into oil. Actually, the nuts are NOT impossible to crack open as they do in this co-op. They are NOT collected out of goat poop.
2. The difference between facial and edible Argan oil is whether or not they roast the nuts. The facial oil will have more of a yellowish tint which comes from fresh nuts. The edible oil is made from roasted nuts.
3. This stuff is really expensive because it's a time-consuming and difficult process. You need a lot of nuts for just a little oil.

So, when I got back from my training, I decided to taste it. I mean, I couldn't really justify giving it out as gifts if I thought it tasted awful. Well, I loved it. It's so nutty and would be great in something. Definitely on salads, and maybe cooked into something(though I don't think you can heat it up really hot- mostly it's just a flavoring oil).

I am interested in finding some good recipes so I went looking online... I found 5. Is that really all? A chicken salad, some couscous and a few Moroccan tajines... I guess I have to learn to make good tajine anyway before I go home. Maybe I'll get to be a really good cook after awhile and invent something fabulous. Stay tuned...