
Morocco's nutty, decadent spread is made from the prized oil of the argan tree - DoreenMichele
https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/amlou
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stronglikedan
> Argan trees grow exclusively in Southwestern Morocco, making them so rare
> that UNESCO has worked to conserve them by establishing a 2.5 million-
> hectare reserve.

I'm sure there's a reason they can't replicate the conditions and grow them
elsewhere, but I'm surprised that doesn't seem to be an option with all of
today's technology. This region seems particularly small.

~~~
efficax
I bet argania would grow fine in other regions, like southern california and
mexico. It sounds like the restriction is the traditionally labor intensive
mode of producing the oil. From wikipedia: "The most labor-intensive part of
oil-extraction is removal of the soft pulp (used to feed animals) and the
cracking by hand, between two stones, of the hard nut".

Cashews and vanilla are similar.

~~~
stronglikedan
That seems to be the consensus, and I seem to agree. I think the article is
incorrect by using the word "exclusively".

I was going to verify it myself before posting here, but I think I learned
more from HN'ers than I would have from my own research. Such as they do grow
in other areas, and there are other crops that are seemingly constrained by
geography but are, in fact, constrained by labor or something similar.

Thanks all!

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walrus01
I have no idea what percent by volume is actually in a bottle, but I have seen
a great deal more shampoos recently with "argan oil" on the bottle label.

[https://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=arg...](https://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=argan+oil+shampoo&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8)

~~~
andygcook
Argan oil is also in a lot of beard oils. You can make your own beard oil at
home pretty easily. Mix 50% Argan oil and 50% Jojoba oil, then add 5-10 drops
per oz of your favorite essential oil (Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Mango) and you
have yourself homemade beard oil whenever you need it.

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samfar90
130$ per liter, that must be the price in the US. Because in Morocco it's
around 20$ (which is still considered expensive bu local standards).

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baud147258
I'm dissapointed with the lack of pictures, either of the tree or the food.

~~~
samfar90
[http://www.mymoroccanfood.com/home/2015/amlou](http://www.mymoroccanfood.com/home/2015/amlou)

~~~
baud147258
Thank you. It was more a complaint directed toward the article (no pictures),
rather than a general lack of pictures on the subject available on the web.

