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The last time I spent this much for oil, it was for my Volvo.

But I just had to try argan oil, even though a slim 8.5-ounce bottle cost me $35.99 (less than the suggested retail $49.50).

I'd never heard of argan, but became intrigued when I learned that ARGAND'OR argan oil ("Morrocan Gold") was newly available in Pittsburgh (at John McGinnis & Co. in Castle Shannon, the Uncommon Market in Upper St. Clair and the East End Food Co-op in Point Breeze).

Stefan Hauke, of the importer World Artisan Guild LLC in Milwaukee, told me how the organic oil comes from endangered argan trees that only grow in a small UNESCO-protected area of Morocco, where the nuts are removed from the yellow fruit (a drupe, like apricots) and hand-pressed by Berber women using traditional stone mills.

How could I resist?

As billed, argan oil does have a mild, hazelnut-ish taste. Because of the cost, it's more for finishing than for cooking, but is used in almost every way imaginable by chefs. I tried it out on some Moroccan recipes and while I can't say the oil itself made a huge difference, cooking with and eating this rare substance, and talking about it, added to the fun of the meal for me and my guests.

I even slipped some in on my picky 13-year-old niece by drizzling some on her ravioli.

I only cringed when, after pouring it, some of the precious oil ran down the side of the bottle and onto the counter (!).

If you'd like to try some, Mr. Hauke himself is doing a tasting from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at John McGinnis and Co. and from 3 to 6 p.m Saturday at the East End Food Co-op.