We traveled along the coast on day 11 on our way to Essaouira and the resumption of our original itinerary. It is pretty incredible how many miles of coastline remain undeveloped and in its pristine natural condition.
We headed back inland for our side-trip to the Argan oil co-op. Argan oil is one of Morocco's largest, and most lucrative, exports, as it is now a key ingredient in many high-end skin treatment lines.
We stop for a snack.
Finger bananas!
Goats in the Argan trees! The goats eat the leaves of the trees, and the exteriors of the nuts when the trees are bearing fruit. The goats cannot digest the hard shell of the nut, so it passes right through them. People gather these nuts as it eliminates one of the many labor-intensive steps in making the oil.
Our guide explaining the process of extracting the oil.
Once the skin is removed (thank you, goats!), the tough outer shell needs to be cracked to reveal the inner nut. This woman is a pro!
Then the inner nut must be opened to reveal the seed.
The seed is toasted if it is going to be made into cooking oil. It is left raw if it will be used in soaps or cosmetics.
The seeds are ground to extract the oil.
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