Visiting the Assouss Argane Cooperative in Morocco
Hello friends,
Today I am going to talk about the Assouss Argane Cooperative that I visited on my way to Essaouira in Morocco. The Cooperative is a community operation that makes products containing argan oil, the "liquid gold" of Morocco.
Apparently, argan trees grow in a few countries, including Mexico and Israel, but only the ones endemic to Morocco yield nuts. These nuts are cracked by hand, between two stones, by local Berber women, and the seeds are removed.
The seeds can be gently roasted to produce an edible argan oil used for dipping, or in couscous and pasta.
Alternatively, and more lucratively, the seeds can be processed unroasted, to produce an oil which is highly valued in cosmetics. The locals have known about the healing powers of this oil, and have traditionally used it to treat skin diseases. Today, argan oil is used as moisturizing oil, against acne, flaking of the skin, and for nourishing the hair (1).
L'Oreal Paris, Vichy and Decléor are some of the companies that utilize in their products the cosmetic benefits of argan oil.
The cooperative's greatest enemy is the ... goats! Apparently, goats love to snack on the argan fruit.
They like it so much, they will even climb up a high tree to get their delicacy.
And that's the end of today's post. I hope you liked it, and that you will follow me to the next one. Have a good day, and speak to you soon!
References:
1.Text from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argan_oil.
Nice post!
I actually remember seeing argan oil as an ingredient on one of the many mysterious bottles in the bathroom I didn't buy.
thank you ocrdu! its rumored to be very good.
goats on tree are crazy :) nice pics
yes they crack me up too!
Hey - I'm "nuts" for #Nuts, to begin with. And I truly enjoyed your storyboard - your images are so clear & crisp (well done ).
I have been involved with altering my diet, & have taken a shine to couscous ! So that helped me be even more interested.
Noteworthy, also - about the fact that the locals use the Oil for skincare. I have to use some High-quality skincare products here in No. Dakota (US), as well !
Well, keep up the good work.
P.S. That picture of the GOATS was hilarious!
I love couscous too. If you find a Moroccan restaurant, try their tagines. They are awesome!
Thank you for posting @koskl. This is excellent.....lovely photographs...commentary and humour. What more could one ask for in a post.
Appreciate you bringing your talent to Steemit.
All the best. Cheers.
Thank you @bleujay! Very kind of you! Yes, those goats were funny.