Coastal & seafood
Essaouira: Argan and Seafood
Essaouira sits at a rare crossroads of Moroccan food: the windswept Atlantic coast on one side and the argan forests of the Souss on the other. That gives the town two culinary treasures — the fresh fish of its working port and the golden argan oil produced from the trees inland, along with amlou, the moreish almond-argan-honey spread. Here is how to taste and buy both honestly.
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- 8 min
- Guide
- Coastal & seafood
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- Essaouira uniquely combines argan country and a working Atlantic port.
- Culinary argan oil is nutty and rich — quite different from cosmetic argan.
- Amlou, the almond-argan-honey spread, is the local treat to try.
- Buy argan from women's cooperatives for quality and fair trade.
Argan: the golden oil of the Souss
The argan tree grows almost nowhere else on earth but this corner of south-western Morocco, and the oil pressed from its kernels is a regional treasure with two distinct forms. Cosmetic argan oil is used on skin and hair, but culinary argan oil — made from lightly roasted kernels — is a deep, nutty, amber cooking oil drizzled over salads, bread, couscous and tagines. Its most delicious expression is amlou, a spread of ground roasted almonds, argan oil and honey, sometimes called Moroccan Nutella, eaten with fresh bread at breakfast.
Genuine argan is labour-intensive and therefore not cheap, and the market is full of adulterated or mislabelled oil. Buying well matters as much here as choosing fresh fish at the port.
Seafood: the town's other treasure
The Atlantic side of Essaouira's identity is its port, where the blue boats land a daily catch grilled metres away at the harbour stalls. This is the fresh, weight-priced seafood the town is famous for, and it pairs beautifully with the region's produce.
- Grilled sardines: the local staple, cheap and superb off the port charcoal.
- Fish tagine with chermoula: the town's signature, layered over tomato and potato.
- Sea bream and sea bass: firm white fish, excellent grilled whole.
- Prawns and calamari: quick over the fire, sold by weight.
- Argan-dressed salads: the two treasures meet when culinary argan oil dresses a seafood salad.
How to buy and taste honestly
For argan, seek out the women's cooperatives in and around Essaouira, where you can often watch the labour-intensive cracking and pressing, taste before you buy, and be confident the oil is pure — these cooperatives also support rural women's livelihoods. Distinguish culinary oil (roasted, for eating) from cosmetic oil (unroasted, for skin), and be wary of suspiciously cheap or heavily diluted bottles. For seafood, apply the port rule: weigh and price the fish before it is cooked.
Essaouira's fish scene is covered in depth in the port-side seafood guide, and to learn to cook with argan and chermoula, a cooking class is the ideal way in.
Frequently asked questions
What is culinary argan oil?
Culinary argan oil is a deep, nutty cooking oil pressed from lightly roasted argan kernels, distinct from the unroasted cosmetic oil used on skin and hair. It is drizzled over salads, bread, couscous and tagines and is the base of amlou. Produced almost only in south-western Morocco around Essaouira and the Souss, it is a genuine regional delicacy.
What is amlou?
Amlou is a rich spread of ground roasted almonds, culinary argan oil and honey, sometimes called Moroccan Nutella. Smooth, nutty and sweet, it is traditionally eaten with fresh bread at breakfast and is one of the signature tastes of the argan region around Essaouira. It also makes an excellent, distinctive edible souvenir.
Where should I buy argan oil in Essaouira?
From the women's cooperatives in and around the town, where you can often watch the kernels being cracked and pressed, taste before buying, and be confident the oil is pure. These cooperatives also support rural women's incomes. Choose culinary oil for eating and cosmetic oil for skin, and avoid suspiciously cheap or diluted bottles.
Why is Essaouira good for both argan and seafood?
Because of its rare location where the argan forests of the Souss meet the Atlantic coast. Inland, the argan trees yield oil and amlou; on the water, the working port lands fresh fish grilled at the harbour stalls. Few Moroccan towns combine two such distinct culinary treasures, which gives Essaouira its unique food identity.