Mortar and Pestle
At left you can see a photograph of a mortar and pestle as you find in South-East Asia. It is made from granite that has been worked to a smooth finish for the grinding surfaces, and a rough finish on the exterior for safer handling.
It is medium-sized and that carries a couple of compromises. If I want to grind a lot of ingredients, it means multiple lots and possibly more time taken, but the plus is it is lighter to carry and wash.
If you look at the left-front surface, you will see a small knob-like protrusion which serves as a sort of mini-handle so that it is not so slippery when wet.
If you follow the link, you will see an example of a mortar and pestle in Europe in the second photo of the post. I suspect it is machine milled, but that is just a guess.
And if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a little crazy about traditional kitchen equipment, and the mortar and pestle is one such item.
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