‘Argan oil from the arid wastes of Morocco is the latest deli delight’, says Simon Brooke
[…] Argan oil is just now available in Britain and is set to become the smartest thing that you can drizzle over char-grilled vegetables, or toss a salad in. ‘It is very trendy in France’, says Daniel Mortimer of Mortimer and Bennett. ‘I’ve been stocking it for the past few months, but only now has it started disappearing off the shelves’. Mourad Mazouz, owner of Momo’s restaurant suggests using it on grilled peppers, or with ‘amfouer’ , a salad served on dried bread. He may also stir it into couscous.
‘It’s so unusual that people in other parts of Morocco haven’t heard of it’, says Ruth Hajioff, whose company, Wild Wood Groves, has begun importing the oil. ‘I eat it for breakfast on bread when I go there’. The oil, is a dark amber colour, with a strong toasted, nutty flavour.
Environmentalists are concerned about the Argan’s prospects. The number of trees has halved in the past 150 years, partly because the wood, known as Moroccan ironwood has been coveted for furniture design. But Ruth Hajioff hopes that increased development of the oil will improve the Argan’s chances of survival so more of us can experience this remarkable tasting substance […]
