Argan oil trees

Originally uploaded by Julie70.

Originally uploaded by With A Jacket For My Pillow: the journeys of Mike.

These beautifully twisted trees dot the hills and valleys of much of southern Morocco. People here have been producing an oil for eating and as a skin cream for generations and only recently has it become a high end export (see the photo later of women grinding for more of the story on argan oil). The tree itself is a work of art and they can get fairly large. I could do a whole project just taking portraits of these trees with their distinctive personalities.

by With A Jacket For My Pillow: the journeys of Mike

Originally uploaded by euanpreston

Argan Trees in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco

by euanpreston

Originally uploaded by Robbie's Photo Art

These goats love the fruit from the Argan Tree.

by Robbie's Photo Art

Goats grazing argan tree

Originally uploaded by Miss Eudoxia

Originally uploaded by Aceduline

Goats like the pulp of argan fruits and often try to climb the trees to get them. They will digest the pulp, but shed the undigested seeds in their feces. As these have shells that are somewhat softened and easier to crack, they are occasionally used to produce oil for non-culinary purposes. An urban legend has it that all argan oil is produced this way. This myth seems to be based on the fact that occasionally, shrewd traders would have sold (and may still try to sell) such "non-food grade" argan oil to ignorant travellers or tourists. The fact that the nuts acquire a foul aroma in passing through the animal's digestive tract makes it easy to tell this oil apart from food-grade produce with its rich, walnut oil-like flavor.

By Aceduline

Originally uploaded by atsjebosma