Argan Oil - Health regulating oil
Argan Oil for food has a wide range of health and nutritional benefits, when used as part of a healthy diet.
Reducing the cholesterol level Presence of oleic acid and Sterols in Argan oil makes it highly effective in reducing Cholesterol, limitize and maintain it.
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Where does Argan Oil come from?
Argan oil comes from the nuts of the Argan Tree. The latter are cracked by hand and the seed extracted and ground into paste oil. It is traditionally made by local Berber women who work in cooperatives and it can take about 30 Kg of Argan Nuts and 10 to 12 hours of work to produce just one litre of oil.
The production of Argan oil is controlled by women's cooperatives in Morocco. Through fair-trade, Argan oil provides the Berber women with a dependable source of income, a means of improving their financial independence and hands opens better access to health care and education.
About the Argan Tree
Argan Tree (Argania Spinosa) can only be found in the South West part of Morocco. That makes it one of the rarest in the world. The tree is very resistant and can live up to 150 to 200 years. Its roots grow deep in search of water and this helps retain the soil against heavy rain, preventing erosion and limiting the advance of the desert.
Argan trees play a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance as well as the economic situation of the population and in 1999, UNESCO added the Argan Tree to the World Heritage List.
Types of Argan Oil
Cosmetic Argan Oil
Alassala Argan Oil for Cosmetic use is at the forefront of 100% pure and natural organic skin and hair care due to its natural complex mixture of compounds including fatty acids, polyphenoles, antioxidants, carotenoids and the high level of Vitamin E, all helping hydrate skin, protect it from the effect of harsh weather, fight signs of aging and restore hair to a beautiful healthy shine. For more information about the beauty benefit and the applications of our Organic Argan Oil for Hair and Skin click here.
Culinary Argan oil
Alassala Organic Argan Oil for culinary use has a fine delicate nutty flavour, proven health benefits through naturally occurring high levels of Vitamin E, essential fatty acids (Omega 3s, Omega 9s) plus plant sterols.
Whether you are health conscious or simply passionate about food and cooking, you can enjoy this delicious versatile oil and add delicate unique flavour to your dishes. It is ideal for dipping, salad dressing, seasoning and drizzling over pasta, fish, and meat dishes. More recipes are here.
Alassala Argan Oil Extraction Methods
Argan fruit appears in late spring and ripens and falls from trees in the months of June and July. Argan oil has been produced by the indigenous Berber women traditionally for centuries. They used it in their cuisine and as simple beauty oil.
The fruits of the argan tree are nut-sizes and may be round, oval or conical in shape. The fruits are covered by a thick peel fleshy pulp. The pulp surrounds a hard-shelled nut which represents approximately 25% of the weight of the fresh fruit. In order to extract the kernels, we first sundry the argan fruits then manually remove the dry fleshy pulp of the fruit and use it as feed for animals ending up by having a very hard nutshell.
The latter are then cracked between two stones by the Berber women whose skills are unparalleled to extract the Kernel nuts or as they referred to Kernel Almonds. It is very time-consuming and labour-intensive process. Contained within the nut are one to three argan oil–rich kernels, thus the attempts to mechanize this process have been unsuccessful.
To produce our wonderful delicate nutty Argan Oil, we then gently toast the extracted Kernels nuts, using the traditional open oven to make sure that the kernel nuts are evenly toasted. After the argan kernels have cooled down, they are cold pressed and the golden healthy oil is extracted.
At Alassala, we take too much care and pride of the whole process from collecting the fruit to the stage when the oil is ready for you to enjoy. We are proud to be able to trace our raw materials back to source as we always seek to provide you with the finest quality argan oil available on the market.
Environmental & Social Benefits
Argan Oil is traditionally produced by women in Morocco. For many of these women, working in Argan Oil production gives them an independent income, allowing them a degree of autonomy in a traditionally male-dominated society. Our supplier of pure Argan Oil is committed to the payment of fair prices and the development of reliable, long-term and partnership-based trading relations with farmers in Morocco.
Apart from providing a reliable source of income, Argan Oil production also ensures a future for the Argan Tree (Argania Spinosa L.), a rare tree, indigenous to Morocco, which has been around for millions of years. The Arganerie, the main Argan Tree growing region, has been recognised by the UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve since 1999. The production of Argan Oil helps to ensure that Argan Trees are valued and protected, instead of being cut down for fire wood or cleared to make way for grazing for animals.
Argan Trees act as a natural barrier to the northward spread of the Sahara Desert. It helps in the fight against climate change and act to preserve biodiversity.
Health Benefits
Every stage is done in a very separate area designed for the purpose it intended to serve within the cooperatives that are run by women. Most importantly, we only crash the Argan nut shells when it is ready to be pressed and once it is pressed it is bottled and each bottle have an individual box order to avoid any oxidation and ensure maximum flavour and nutrient value. If Argan nuts are extracted and stored it will get oxidised. At Alassala There is also a process of hygiene that we are very strict and rigid about. Our technical manager is always working on notifying us with technical issues that we need to be aware of and that can leads to a better quality.