Harvests & produce
Argan Season and Amlou
The argan tree grows almost nowhere on earth but the Souss region of southwestern Morocco, and it gives the country one of its most distinctive foods: argan oil, pressed from the kernels inside its hard fruit, and the sweet, nutty amlou spread made from it. Both are specialties of the Amazigh south around Agadir, Essaouira and Taroudant, produced largely by women's cooperatives, and both are worth understanding beyond the tourist label.
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- Season
- Harvests & produce
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- The argan tree grows almost exclusively in southwestern Morocco.
- Culinary argan oil is toasted and nutty; cosmetic argan oil is untoasted.
- Amlou blends argan oil, ground almonds and honey into a rich spread.
- Argan is largely produced by women's cooperatives in the Souss.
The argan tree and its oil
The gnarled, thorny argan tree is adapted to the arid Souss, and its fruit hides a hard nut, inside which sit the oil-rich kernels. Making the oil is famously laborious: the fruit is dried, the nuts cracked by hand between stones, and the kernels ground and pressed. For culinary oil the kernels are first gently roasted, giving a deep amber oil with a warm, toasted, hazelnut-like flavour; for cosmetic oil they are left raw. Much of it is now made by women's cooperatives that have brought income and recognition to the region.
A dish of good argan oil with bread, or drizzled over a tagine to finish, is a taste found nowhere else, and a point of real pride in the south.
Amlou, the south's beloved spread
The most delicious use of culinary argan oil is amlou, sometimes called Berber or Amazigh nutella for the way it is loved and eaten.
- The three ingredients: toasted ground almonds, culinary argan oil and honey.
- The texture: a thick, rich, spoonable paste, sweet and deeply nutty.
- How it is eaten: spread on or dipped with bread, especially at breakfast.
- Where it belongs: the Souss and Anti-Atlas, offered warmly to guests.
- The pairing: classically served with fresh bread and mint tea.
Buying and enjoying argan
For visitors, a few things are worth knowing. Culinary argan oil, the toasted kind, is what you want for eating — it should smell nutty and taste rich, not bland. Genuine oil and amlou are best bought from reputable cooperatives, where you can often see the labour behind them. And amlou, once tasted at a southern breakfast with warm bread and tea, tends to become the souvenir people most regret not buying more of. It keeps well and travels home easily.
For the almonds at its heart see almond blossom and harvest season, and for another prized regional product, the saffron harvest at Taliouine.
Frequently asked questions
What is argan oil?
Argan oil is pressed from the kernels inside the fruit of the argan tree, which grows almost exclusively in southwestern Morocco. Culinary argan oil, made from roasted kernels, is a deep amber oil with a warm, toasted, nutty flavour, used for eating; untoasted argan oil is used for cosmetics.
What is amlou?
Amlou is a rich, spoonable paste from the Moroccan south made of toasted ground almonds, culinary argan oil and honey. Sweet and deeply nutty, it is eaten spread on or dipped with bread, especially at breakfast with mint tea, and is sometimes nicknamed the Berber or Amazigh nutella.
Where does argan come from in Morocco?
The argan tree grows almost only in the Souss region of southwestern Morocco, around Agadir, Essaouira and Taroudant, in an arid landscape it is uniquely adapted to. The oil and amlou are specialties of the Amazigh south and are largely produced by local women's cooperatives.
What is the difference between culinary and cosmetic argan oil?
Culinary argan oil is made from kernels that are gently roasted first, giving a nutty, toasted flavour and amber colour for eating and for amlou. Cosmetic argan oil is pressed from raw, unroasted kernels, is paler and milder, and is used for skin and hair rather than food.