Cooking in Africa - The mortar

 The Mortar

#AFH

African cooking methods are often different from conventional ones in terms of food processing, cooking, and utensils used. This week's theme is "traditional cooking instruments" and the first one I would like to cover is the mortar.

The mortar is a pounding utensil that consists of two hardwood components, the bowl to put the ingredients in and a pestle to pound the ingredients into either a paste or a powder. It is a very old and sacred instrument used all around the continent. 

The mortar and pestle is usually carved from the wood of a tree, and unlike the sharp blade of the modern food processor that bruises the ingredients, the pestle crushed them in a way that helps release their fresh flavors and oils - and the difference in taste is palpable.



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