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Driving along the west coast of Morocco, we turned inland at Agadir. We passed several roadside vendors offering Moroccan argan oil, but we didn’t stop. We were on a mission to find goats in trees. Were the rumours true, where does argan oil come from? Could goats actually be the first step in the making of Moroccan argan oil?

Argon oil sold on the side of the road as we drove south of Essaouira in Morocco
Argan oil sold on the side of the road as we drove south of Essaouira in Morocco.

We were told we would see goats in trees between Marrakesh and Essaouira, but we didn’t. Again between Essaouira and Agadir, there were none.

A barren and misty coastline as we drove from Essaouira to Agadir in Morocco
A barren and misty coastline as we drove from Essaouira to Agadir in Morocco.

Now we were heading to the interior. At least the driving was easier outside of Marrakesh. There were fewer drivers on the roads cutting us off, donkey carts now stayed on the shoulder, and almost no pedestrians ran randomly in front of the car. The ever-changing views are dotted with litter, and finally, there they were: the goats in trees.

Goats in trees in Morocco
The goats soften the husk and process the argan seed.

Where does argan oil come from? First step: Goats in trees in Morocco.

Goats in trees in Morocco.

Goats in trees in Morocco
Goats in trees in Morocco

Where Does Argan Oil Come From?

Moroccan argan oil is made from the seed of the Argania Spinosa (Argan Tree), a native to the Souss-Massa-Drâa region of Morocco and Algeria.  While the traditional method allows the goats to processes the nuts first, as this softens the husk, some Berber women will hand pick and open the nut to get at the seed.

(Yes, we are talking about retrieving the seeds from the goat poop according to CBS News, much the same as the famous kopi luwak coffee is from beans processed through a civet.)

Berber women hand grinding the seeds to make argon oil in the Medina in Taroudant, Morocco
The next step in the process is to laboriously hand grind the seeds thus producing the oil. Often a family business, we were lucky to be invited into a home where they process the argan seeds. The two women worked non-stop. While they allowed me to take their photos, they requested that I not include their faces.
Making argon oil in the Medina in Taroudant, Morocco
The argan seeds are in the baskets on the table.

More on Goats in Trees and Moroccan Argan Oil

  • Moroccan argan oil is often referred to as a miracle oil or liquid gold.
  • Its benefits to skin and hair are well known. It’s also thought to aid in digestion, reduce joint pain, and stabilize blood sugar.
  • We were able to apply a few drops on our skin, and also offered a small bowl of argan oil and bread for dipping. It’s smooth with a pleasant aroma and an acquired taste.
  • There is usually a goat herder with the animals.
  • Standard practice is to offer a few coins in payment for taking photos.
  • While we wonder if we could have brought fresh Moroccan argan oil back home to New Zealand (as we have strict biosecurity laws), I regret not purchasing more of the oil at the Moroccan prices. Today, Moroccan argan oil seems to be a common ingredient in hair and skin products.

Where to Stay

While in the region, we treated ourselves to a bit of luxurious relaxation at Riad Jnane Ines in Taroudant. Fragrant lemon trees, a beautifully manicured garden, an outdoor pool, and a wellness centre with a hammam bath made this a day of paradise amidst the hustle of Morocco.

⇒  Click Here to check the availability of Riad Jnane Ines

Riad in Taroudant, Morocco
The pool at Riad Jnane Ines was the typical keyhole shape often used for Moroccan doorways.
Pizza restaruant in Taroudant, Morocco
Taroudant is a mix of traditional and modern lifestyles. We ate dinner at the pizza restaurant in the corner after our vegetarian daughter discovered that the adorable rabbits and chickens in the garden were on the dinner menu at the Riad.

Our Moroccan Road trip started with train travel from Fes to Marrakesh. Here we rented a car and headed first to Essaouira on the west coast, then south to Agadir before turning inland and passing through Taroudant on the way to the Sahara.

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Wondering where does Moroccan argan oil come from? The first step is these Goats in trees in Morocco. Read the article for the rest of the process.

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Comments

  1. Ohh, those goats :). Here, in Cyprus, we found them climbing trees too (not sure what’s variety though). It was quite a bizarre sight for an outsider inexperienced in goats’ habits.

    Reply

  2. Do you remember where exactly you spotted the goats? Close to Agadir? I am in Agadir right now and hired a taxi for tomorrow just to see the goats in the trees. I wonder how far it is..?

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    • Sorry, not exactly. I know it was closer to Taroudant than to Agadir. I believe it was after the N8 on the stretch along P1714. We also saw them just on the far side of Taroudant on the N10 on the way to Ouarzazate. We had our car, so we just watched for them along the road. There will be a shepherd with them, and they were easy to spot. Your driver should know where the trees grow.

      Reply

  3. Goats in trees?! So awesome! Love the photos and it sounds like a wonderful experience to be invited into one of the local’s homes to see how it is produced. I never realized how Aragon Oil was made, so it’s interesting to learn more about it as I’ve been seeing it in so many different products lately!

    Reply

  5. Oh, Rhonda, those goats in the trees are so cute! You take the best photos ever! Is the Morocco the only country that makes argan oil? I buy some body lotion and shower gel with organ oil but they are made in Italy. After reading your post I began wondering if the Italians get the argan oil from Morocco or they produce their own.

    Reply

  6. That is so interesting! I’ve been to a Kopi Luwak local Balinese facility and personally witnessed the whole process of retrieving the coffee beans from the animal. I would never imagine reading about goats doing the same type of process for Argan oil.

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  7. Goats are so awesome. There is literally nowhere that they won’t climb, is there?

    I’m seeing argan oil everywhere these days, both in markets and in cosmetics. It’s a good reminder to see how labor intensive it is – I’m guessing there’s very little genuine product in a lot of the lotions I see.

    Reply

  8. I’ve seen goats and I’ve seen trees, but I’ve never seen goats in trees! So it is true!
    I buy products with argan oil and use argan oil too, but hopefully from the kind of nuts processed by human hands! 🙂

    Reply

    • LOL. Yes, I don’t think too many people have seen the goats in trees. It’s pretty impressive to watch them. As for the seeds, if you are not paying too much for your argan oil, it might be factory processes. Personally, I prefer the traditional product.

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  10. What a beautiful part of Morocco! I never saw any goats in trees there, but I did see them in the desert in India. Fascinating that the women grind the seeds by hand — that must be so labor intensive.

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  11. Nice little story! If not for this I would never have known about this quirky little piece of artistry. Would love to buy some in Casablance whenever I do eventually get there! And ya goats in trees, reminds me of my childhood home in rural India!

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  13. Now, being a farm kid growing up, it was not unusual to see all sorts of farm animals in all sorts of environments, but I’ve never seen goats in trees! Come to think about it, Argan Oil does feature in some hair products but I never knew the process it goes through. Really enjoyed this post, thanks.

    Reply

    • I had heard about the goats in trees but really had to see it with my own eyes. I’m not sure if most people want to know the processing behind the ingredients in their hair products.

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  14. I’ve never seen goats in trees but I’ve seen goats in the Swiss Alps and wondered how the heck they managed to climb certain mountains, so I’m not totally surprised about goats in trees in Morocco. However, your pics are nevertheless amazing. If someone had just told me, I might have believed he was making fun of me.

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  20. That is so awesome! My family was just discussing the kopi luwak coffee process earlier this week. It was something my hubby brought up while we were driving and my kids couldn’t believe it! These photos are just gorgeous!

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  21. Wow! Who knew! When I saw the title of your post I didn’t expect it to be literal! I never thought I’d see that! Goats in trees! But I always love to hear how the products we use on a daily basis come to be. This is very interesting. Thanks!

    Reply

    • I was amazed as well. We were just driving along and there they were in the tree. And, who would have ever thought to grind up the spent seeds and eat the product or use it on their body?

      Reply

  22. That first goat in the photo looked a little indignant with you taking it’s photo. What a process for making oil. Poor women having to do all the hard work again. Must remember to not have any of the Coffee you mentioned.

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  24. wow, i am totally amazed, that was the neatest post i have read in weeks…. goats in trees…wow, still just shaking my head, very cool

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  31. Love the goats in the trees. Too cute.

    Don’t know anything about the oil. I loved your comment about acquired taste. That means I wouldn’t like it.

    Have a fabulous day, Rhonda. ☺

    Reply

    • LOL – The goats are in the trees outside of the town. The riad only had bunnies and chickens – and they really would have slaughtered one for us if we wanted it for dinner.

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  39. Interesting story and photographs! The goats eat the pulp of Argan fruit and spit the seeds. The spat seeds are collected to extract oil. The poop story has been created to make it sound exotic.

    Reply

    • According to what we were told when we were there, and what my research says, that is only partially true. Sometimes they spit it out, but usually, they process it through their digestive tract. Really, if you think about it, it would be more unusual for a goat, an animal known to eat just about anything, to spit than to swallow.

      Reply

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