mortar and pestle

for as long as i can remember i’ve wanted to have my own mortar and pestle. there’s something very elemental that goes back a very long way in my own experience and then beyond that into my heritage in which mortar and pestles played a part in the daily life of people long gone but certainly connected to me.

read here to learn more about the mortar and pestle.

a mortar and pestle also has something to do with alchemy and in a not altogether unconnected way with carefully preparing food. it brings the simple element of craft into cookery. so, having said all that i have started looking around for a mortar and pestle that “speaks to me”. i trust that you know what i mean when i write that!

so here’s a short list of mortar and pestles that appeal to me.

this page has some stunning items that when seen collectively almost represent a historical cross-section of mortar and pestle . . . design

this tiny item comes from ten thousand villages. . . . i wish it were bigger because it has a lovely softness and colour about it.


these are hefty and rough weighing anywhere from five to twenty plus pounds!!! i like the fact that they are stone but i’m looking for something smooth . . . temple of thai.

this one is also very nice. manufactured by scanwood a kitchenware company that produces simple, strong designs with an instantly recognizable scandinavian aesthetic. in business since 1919, they use renewable wood resources like the beech used here. this wooden pestle and mortar costs $30.00. i like it - it isn’t stone but i think i’m alright with that!

this is my favourite so far, manufactured by sagaform a swedish company of course!!