It Takes Work to Look This Good:
The oil undergoes an extensive cultivation process. Made from the nuts of the Argan Tree, the Berber women of Southwest Morocco first crack the shells with sharp stones. They then proceed to place the kernels between two Flintstone-size slabs of rock, grinding them into a brown paste, which resembles chunky peanut butter. The paste, kneaded by hand to extract the oil, transforms into a solid hunk and is sent to nearby factories where more oil is extracted by a press. But, it is the pure oil that is most sought after.
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The Oil Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree:
The Argan is a species of tree endemic to the calcareous semi-desert Sous Valley of southwestern Morocco and to the Algerian region of Tindouf in the Northern African region. It is the sole species in the genus Argania. The Arganeraie forests now cover some 8,280 km2 and are designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. As the area has shrunk by about 50% over the last 100 years, the best hope for the conservation of the trees may lie in the recent development of a thriving export market for Argan Oil as a high-value product.
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