Which tree's kernels are pressed to make culinary argan oil in Morocco?

Culinary argan oil in Morocco is pressed from the kernels of the argan tree.

The argan tree, Argania spinosa, is an evergreen species native mainly to southwestern Morocco and parts of southwestern Algeria. Its fruit contains a hard stone, and the valuable kernels inside that stone are processed to produce argan oil. The fruit itself is not simply squeezed like an olive.

For culinary oil, the kernels are traditionally cracked, ground and processed after the fruit has been collected and dried. In many traditional settings, women carry out and transmit much of this labor, using hand tools and stone mills. Roasting the kernels before extraction gives culinary oil its characteristic nutty flavor; cosmetic oil is generally made from unroasted kernels.

The argan tree is also ecologically important. It helps stabilize soils in dry regions and supports local livelihoods through oil, food products and other uses. Almond, carob and olive trees can all yield useful food products, but none produces argan oil.