Of all the things they can be made of, what type is the best for culinary herbs?
I was in an antique shop recently and found one that appeared to be made of brass coated iron. It was very heavy. But I thought the metal plate might not be for culinary herbs. The mortar was rather tall and deep, unlike most I've seen in modern times.
I currently have a marble mortar and pestle set brought from a herb shop, and a glass one from Colonial Williamsburg.
I 've just read an article that in South Africa, they make them from shea wood, where they also process their large export of shea butter. These would seem like the perfect set.
Any information on these essential herb tools is appreciated.
Best Mortars and Pestles
I think the marble or stone would be best , because other things like wood may pick up a smell or the oils .
This is my new one.
DH gave it to me fore Christmas.
You'll probably get lots of opinions about this Fox! I have a few that I use. One is similar to gardengus' I also have a porcelain one that I enjoy. I like a mortar that has a slightly rough interior. It gives grip to the herb and pestle so you can actually crush what you have inside, rather than chase it around the interior (if the interior were slick). The pestle should fit comfortably in your hand and have a slightly rounded bit that fits in your palm should you use the pestle in that fashion. Some people like the end of the pestle in their palm, some place the end in the web of their hand. While shopping for a set, try it a bit to see how it feels. The set should have some weight to it so it doesn't slide across the counter when in use. Also, if the pestle is weighty, it will do a lot of the work for you and you won't have to push so hard on it to crush the herbs/spices. My wooden one that I got a hundred years ago was fine for the occasional crushed coriander seed, but wasn't practical for much else. However, if you got a nice, hefty wooden one like they use to make mufango (spelling?), now that would be terrific! A brass one that was given to me I use for decoration.
A heavy-duty glass one would be quite nice as well.
Let us know which you pick!
I have one like gardengus's except it has a base, like an urn. I also have a porcelain one like Betty, but it's quite small, so I usually don't use it. I've wanted one of those ones used by Mexican chefs, made from what looks like lava rock, that they use to make guacamole. The brass one you describe sounds like it may have been used many years ago in an apothacary to compound medications. It would be neat to have even if just for the decor, but as Betty says, many spices would pick up the metallic taste. I hope you have selected one because there's nothing like freshly-ground herbs and spices. I'm going to run into my pantry right now and have a few sniffs of coriander, fennel, and star anise! Pam
I have one similar to Gardengus's, but mine is granite and it's huge. I use it to grind resins and herbs for incense. I got it from a Thai food place online. They have all different sizes. A weighty mortar and pestle really make a difference in the ability to grind, I've found.
My mortar is ceramic with a slightly gritty feeling interior. It is white, so I can see what I am crushing. My pestle is wood, and I lightly coat it with safflower oil (no smell). Over the years, the wood has still picked up a light garlic smell; however, the garlic taste and smell do not seem to transfer themselves to anything. At least as far as my nose and taste buds can smell. I, too, would like a larger one. Good idea about the Thai food place. I will have to check it out.
I have two sizes of porcelain ones; I had a marble one and a granite one, and eventually they started to smell like rosemary and garlic no matter what. The porcelain ones go right in the dishwasher, and come out clean and odor-free.