Illustration by Lea Kron
Besides Eretz Yisrael, there are very few places wanderlust pulls me to. The Swiss Alps, the canyons of Arizona, Italian pasta (and probably shoes) sound great, but Morocco? Sigh, what a dream! The culture, the sights, the food, and the Jewish history… I can literally picture myself walking through a bazaar.
Interviewing a homegrown Moroccan might not require a passport, but talking to Ariel Bensoussan, importer of Argaman Argan Oil and Ariel Prestige and Premium Extra-Virgin Olive Oils, sure felt like a mini vacation to the Orient.
I grew up in Morocco in the 1960s and 70s. Life was simple and traditional and revolved largely around food. Since women rarely worked outside the home and live-in help was cheap, they lavished a lot of time on meals. We ate very well because everything was made fresh and from scratch — even the bread — and junk food didn’t exist. I didn’t cook myself, but my mother’s gourmet cooking set a high standard for me.
I’m a software engineer by trade and worked for over 30 years in the healthcare business, but by the time Covid hit I was ready for something different. Morocco had normalized trade relations with Israel, and had always had relations with the US, so I started thinking about what I could import from there. In the US, argan oil is well known for its use in beauty products and shampoos, but people don’t realize it’s a fabulous culinary oil with a lot of health benefits. I also decided to import high-end olive oil, under the names Ariel Premium and Ariel Prestige, because Morocco produces olive oil that rivals the best Italian or Greek oils.
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