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{{Short description|Bowl and grinder for hand-grinding}}
{{Infobox laboratory equipment
|name         = Mortar and pestle
|image        = White-Mortar-and-Pestle.jpg
|alt          = <!-- See Wikipedia:Alternative text for images -->
|caption      = Kitchen mortar with pestle inside
|acronym      
|other_names  = 
|uses         = {{ubl|[[wikt:crush#English|crushing]]|[[wikt:grind#English|grinding]]}}
|inventor     =
|manufacturer =
|model        =
|related      = {{hlist|[[quern-stone]]|[[mill (grinding)|mill]]}}
}}

A '''mortar and pestle''' is a set of two simple [[tool]]s used to prepare ingredients or substances by [[compression (physics)|crushing]] and [[shear force|grinding]] them into a fine [[Paste (rheology)|paste]] or [[powder]] in the [[kitchen]], [[laboratory]], and [[pharmacy]]. The ''mortar'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɔr|t|ər}}) is characteristically a bowl, typically made of hardwood, metal, [[ceramic]], or hard stone such as [[granite]]. The ''pestle'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɛ|s|əl}}, <small>also</small> {{IPAc-en|US|ˈ|p|ɛ|s|t|əl}}) is a blunt, club-shaped object. The substance to be ground, which may be wet or dry, is placed in the mortar where the pestle is pounded, pressed, or rotated into the substance until the desired texture is achieved.

Mortars and pestles have been used in cooking since the [[Stone Age]]; today they are typically associated with the pharmacy profession due to their historical use in preparing medicines. They are used in chemistry settings for pulverizing small amounts of chemicals; in arts and cosmetics for pulverizing pigments, binders, and other substances; in [[ceramic]]s for making [[Grog (clay)|grog]]; in [[masonry]] and other types of construction requiring pulverized materials. In cooking, they are typically used to crush spices, to make [[pesto]], and certain cocktails such as the [[mojito]], which requires the gentle crushing of sugar, ice, and mint leaves in the glass with a pestle.
[[File:Guinea_Photo_15.jpg|thumb|Guinean women stamping into a large mortar|upright]]
The invention of mortars and pestles seems related to that of [[Quern-stone|quern-stones]], which use a similar principle of naturally indented, durable, hard stone bases and [[Mallet|mallets]] of stone or wood to process food and plant materials, clay, or minerals by stamping, crushing, pulverizing and grinding.

A key advantage of the mortar is that it presents a deeper bowl for confining the material to be ground without the waste and spillage that occur with flat grinding stones. Another advantage is that the mortar can be made large enough for a person to stand upright and adjacent to it and use the combined strength of their upper body and the [[force of gravity]] for better stamping. Large mortars allow some individuals with several pestles to stamp the material faster and more efficiently. Working over a large mortar that a person can stand next to is physically easier and more [[ergonomics|ergonomic]] (by ensuring a better posture of the whole body) than for a small quern, where a person has to crouch and use the uncomfortable, repetitive motion of hand grinding by sliding.

Mortars and pestles predate modern [[Blender|blenders]] and [[Burr mill|grinders]] and can be described as having the function of small, mobile, hand-operated mills that do not require electricity or fuel to operate.

Large wooden mortars and wooden pestles would predate and lead to the invention of [[Butter churn|butter churns]], as domestication of livestock and use of dairy (during the [[Neolithic]]) came well after the mortar and pestle. Butter would be [[Churning (butter)|churned]] from cream or milk in a wooden container with a long wooden stick, very like the use of wooden mortars and pestles.

==History==
[[File:Stone Age Stone Mortar & Pestle, Kebaran culture, 22000-18000 BP.jpg|upright|thumb|Stone Age stone mortar and pestle, [[Kebaran culture]], 22000–18000 BC]]
[[File:Raqefet Cave rock mortars.jpg|thumb|upright|Rock mortars in [[Raqefet Cave]], Israel, used for making beer during the [[Stone Age]]]]

Mortars and pestles were invented in the Stone Age when humans found that processing food and various other materials by grinding and crushing into smaller particles allowed for improved use and various advantages.  Hard grains could be cooked and digested more easily if ground first, grinding potsherds into grog would vastly improve fired clay, and larger objects such as blocks of salt would be much easier to handle and use. Various stone mortars and pestles have been found, while wooden or clay ones would perish much more easily over time.

Scientists have found ancient mortars and pestles in Southwest Asia that date back to approximately 35000 BC.

Stone mortars and pestles have also been used by the [[Kebaran culture]] ([[Levant|the Levant]] with [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]]) from 22000 to 18000 BC to crush grains and other plant material. The Kebaran mortars that have been found are sculpted, slightly conical bowls of porous stone, and the pestles are made of a smoother type of stone.

Another Stone Age example is the rock mortars in the [[Raqefet Cave]] in [[Israel]], which are natural cavities in the cave floors, used by Late [[Natufian]]s around 10000 BC to grind cereals for brewing beer in the cavities. These rock mortars are large enough for a person to stand upright by them and crush the cereals inside the cavity with a long wooden pestle.

Ancient Africans, Sumerians, Egyptians, Thai, Laos People, Polynesians, Native Americans, Chinese, Indians, Greeks, Celts, and countless other people used mortars and pestles for processing materials and substances for cooking, arts, cosmetics, simple chemicals, ceramics and medicine.

Since the 14th century, bronze mortars became more popular than stone ones, especially for use in alchemy and early chemistry. Bronze mortars would become more elaborate than stone ones, had the advantage to be harder, and were easily cast with handles, knobs for handling, and spouts for easier pouring. However, the big disadvantage was that bronze would react with acids and other chemicals and corrode easily. Since the late 17th century, glazed porcelain mortars became very useful, since they would not be damaged by chemicals and would be easy to clean.

=== Etymology ===
The English word ''mortar'' derives from Middle English ''{{Lang|enm|morter}}'', from old French ''{{Lang|fro|mortier}}'', from classical [[Latin]] ''{{Lang|la|mortarium}}'', meaning, among several other usages, "receptacle for pounding" and "product of grinding or pounding"; perhaps related to Sanskrit "mrnati" - to crush, to bruise.

The classical Latin {{Lang|la|pistillum}}, meaning "pounder", led to the English ''pestle''. Stemming from the pistillum, the word [[pesto]] in Italian cuisine means created with the pestle.

The Roman poet [[Juvenal]] applied both ''mortarium'' and ''pistillum'' to articles used in the preparation of drugs, reflecting the early use of the mortar and pestle as a symbol of a pharmacist or apothecary.

Mortar as a synonym for cement in masonry came from the use of mortars and pestles to grind the materials for creating cement. The short [[Bombard (weapon)|bombard]] cannon was called "mortar" in French because the first versions of these cannons looked like big metal mortars of the Medieval Ages and they required to be filled with gunpowder, like a mortar would be full of powdered material.

=== The mortar and pestle in culture and symbols === 
[[File:Bilibin. Baba Yaga.jpg|thumb|Baba Yaga flies in her mortar, by [[Ivan Bilibin]].]]
The antiquity of the mortar and pestle is well documented in early writing, such as the Egyptian [[Ebers Papyrus]] of around 1550 BC (the oldest preserved piece of medical literature) and the [[Old Testament]] (Numbers 11:8 and Proverbs 27:22).

In Indian mythology, Samudra Manthan from Bhagavata Purana creates amrita, the nectar of immortality, by churning the ocean with a pestle.

Since medieval times, mortars would be placed or carved on the gravestones of pharmacists and doctors.

In Russian and Eastern European folklore, [[Baba Yaga]] is described and pictured as flying through the forest standing inside a large wooden mortar (stupa), holding the long wooden pestle in one hand to remove obstacles in front of her, and using the broom in her other hand to sweep and remove her traces behind her. This seems as a trace of some ancient rituals connecting the witch symbols of Baba Yaga with the use of mortars in alchemy, pharmacy, and early chemistry, which were all seen as magic by uneducated people in the Medieval Ages.  

In various Asian mythologies and folklores, there is a common theme of a [[Moon rabbit]], making use of a mortar and pestle to process the ingredients for the ''[[Elixir of life]]'' (or [[rice]] for making [[mochi]]).  

Modern pharmacies, especially in Germany, still use mortars and pestles as logos.

== Uses ==

=== Medicine ===
[[File:PharmacistsMortar.svg|thumb|upright|right|Iconic [[apothecary]] mortar and pestle, displaying the '''{{not a typo|℞}}''' symbol for [[medical prescription]]s]]

Mortars and pestles were traditionally used in pharmacies to crush various ingredients before preparing an extemporaneous [[medical prescription|prescription]]. The mortar and pestle, with the [[Rod of Asclepius]], the Green Cross, and others, is one of the most pervasive symbols of pharmacology.

For pharmaceutical use, the mortar and the head of the pestle are usually made of [[porcelain]], while the handle of the pestle is made of [[wood]]. This is known as a [[Wedgwood]] mortar and pestle and originated in 1759. Today the act of mixing ingredients or reducing the particle size is known as [[trituration]].

Mortars and pestles are also used as [[drug paraphernalia]] to grind up pills to speed up absorption when they are [[eating|ingested]], or in preparation for [[Insufflation (medicine)|insufflation]]. To finely ground drugs, not available in the liquid [[dosage form]] are used also if patients need artificial nutrition such as [[parenteral nutrition]] or by [[nasogastric tube]].

=== Food preparation ===
[[File:A traditional mortar.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A traditional Indian mortar and pestle]]
[[File:Bangkajf.JPG|upright|thumb|''Bangkang pinawa'', literally "boat (''[[bangka (boat)|bangka]]'') for unpolished rice", an ancient mortar and pestle from the [[Philippines]]]]
Mortars are also used in cooking to prepare wet or oily ingredients such as [[guacamole]], [[hummus]], and [[pesto]] (which derives its name from the pestle pounding), as well as grinding spices into powder. The [[molcajete]], a version used by pre-Hispanic [[Mesoamerican]] cultures including the [[Aztec]] and [[Maya civilization|Maya]], stretching back several thousand years, is made of [[basalt]] and is used widely in Mexican cooking. Other [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] nations use [[mortar hole|mortars carved into the bedrock]] to grind [[acorn]]s and other nuts. Many such depressions can be found in their territories.

In [[Japan]], very large mortars are used with wooden [[mallet]]s to prepare [[Mochi (food)|mochi]]. A regular-sized [[Japan]]ese mortar and pestle are called a [[suribachi and surikogi|''suribachi'' and ''surikogi'']], respectively. [[Granite]] mortars and pestles are used in [[Southeast Asia]], as well as [[Pakistan]] and [[India]]. In [[India]], it is used extensively to make spice mixtures for various delicacies as well as day-to-day dishes. With the advent of motorized grinders, the use of the mortar and pestle has decreased. It is traditional in various [[Hindu]] ceremonies (such as weddings, and [[upanayanam]]) to crush [[turmeric]] in these mortars.

In [[Malay language|Malay]], it is known as ''batu lesung''. Large [[rock (geology)|stone]] mortars, with long (2–3&nbsp;foot) wood pestles were used in [[West Asia]] to grind meat for a type of [[meatloaf]], or [[kibbeh]], as well as the [[hummus]] variety known as [[masabcha]]. In [[Indonesia]] mortar is known as ''Cobek'' or ''Tjobek'' and pestle is known as ''Ulekan'' or ''Oelekan''. The chobek is shaped like a deep saucer or plate. The ulekan is either pistol-shaped or ovoid. It is often used to make fresh [[sambal]], a spicy chili [[condiment]], hence the ''sambal ulek/oelek'' denotes its process using pestle. It is also used to grind peanuts and other ingredients to make peanut sauce for [[gado-gado]].

=== Husking and dehulling ===
{{further|Husk#Husking and dehulling}}
[[File:Wooden rice mortar 3.jpg|alt=A large wooden mortar with a wooden pestle lying horizontally across the top. |thumb|A wooden mortar and pestle was discovered at Briar's plantation in [[South Carolina]]. It was found in the rice loft and presumably used for dehulling.  ]]
Large mortars and pestles are still commonly used in developing countries to husk and dehull grain. These are usually made of wood, and operated by one or more persons.

In the [[Philippines]], mortar and pestles are specifically associated with de-husking [[rice]]. A notable traditional mortar and pestle is the boat-shaped ''bangkang pinawa'' or ''bangkang pangpinawa'', literally "boat (''[[bangka (boat)|bangka]]'') for unpolished rice", usually carved from a block of [[Vitex parviflora|molave]] or other hardwood. It is pounded by two or three people. The name for the mortar, ''lusong'', is the origin of the name of the largest island in the Philippines, [[Luzon]].

Large wooden mortars and pestles have been used to hull grain in West Africa for centuries. When enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas, they brought this technology—and knowledge of how to use it—with them. During the [[Middle Passage]], some slave ships carried un-hulled rice, and enslaved African women were tasked with using mortars and pestles to prepare it for consumption. In both colonial North and South America, rice continued to be primarily milled by hand in this way until around the mid-1700s when mechanical mills became more widespread.

== Material ==
Good mortar and pestle-making materials must be hard enough to crush the substance rather than be worn away by it. They cannot be too [[brittle]] either, or they will break during the pounding and grinding. The material should also be cohesive so that small bits of the mortar or pestle do not mix in with the ingredients. Smooth and non-porous materials are chosen that will not absorb or trap the substances being ground.
[[File:Pilon.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Women in [[Cape Verde]] use a large mortar with multiple pestles]]
In [[outline of food preparation|food preparation]], a rough or absorbent material may cause the strong [[Flavor (taste)|flavor]] of a past ingredient to be tasted in food prepared later. Also, the food particles left in the mortar and on the pestle may support the growth of [[microorganism]]s. When dealing with [[medication]]s, the previously prepared [[drugs]] may interact or mix, contaminating the currently used ingredients.

Rough ceramic mortar and pestle sets can be used to reduce substances to very fine powders, but stain easily and are brittle. Porcelain mortars are sometimes conditioned for use by grinding some sand to give them a rougher surface which helps to reduce the particle size. Glass mortars and pestles are fragile, but stain-resistant and suitable for use with liquids. However, they do not grind as finely as the ceramic type.

Other materials used include stone, often [[marble]] or [[agate]], wood (which is highly absorbent), [[bamboo]], iron, [[steel]], [[brass]], and [[molcajete|basalt]]. Mortar and pestle sets made from the wood of old grape vines have proved reliable for grinding salt and pepper at the dinner table. Uncooked rice is sometimes ground in mortars to clean them. This process must be repeated until the rice comes out completely white. Some stones, such as [[molcajete]], need to be seasoned first before use. Metal mortars are kept lightly oiled.

== Automatic mortar grinder ==
Since the results obtained with hand grinding are not easily reproducible, most laboratories use automatic mortar grinders. Grinding time and pressure of the mortar can be adjusted and fixed, saving time and labor.

The first automatic Mortar Grinder was invented by F. Kurt Retsch in 1923 and named the "Retschmill" after him.

== Advantages ==
The use of mortar and pestle, pestling, offers the advantage that the substance is crushed with low energy so that the substance will not warm up.

== Gallery ==
<gallery class="center">
File:Mortar and Pestle - Greece.jpg|Mortar and pestle made from bronze alloy, [[Greece]].
File:Mitmita being made in mortar and pestle.jpg|Mitmita made in [[Ethiopia]]
File:Cobek.jpg|''Tjobek'', the [[Indonesia]]n word in [[Dutch spelling]] for mortars and pestles
File:ओखल र मुसल.jpg|A traditional [[Nepal]]i mortar and pestle
File:Molcajete y tejolote.jpg|Molcajete y tejolote, [[Mexico]]
File:Lao cuisine khok.jpg|A [[Laos|Lao]]‑style mortar and pestle
File:MörserPflanzenmaterial.jpg|Mortar used to pulverize plant material
File:Wooden mortar and pestle.jpg|A wooden mortar and pestle
File:Khalili Collection Islamic Art mtw 0688 mtw 1354.1.jpg|alt=Mortar and pestle made of brass or quaternary copper alloy, piece cast, engraved, ringmatted and inlaid with silver, copper and a black compound.|[[Iran]], [[Khurasan]]. Late 12th or early 13th century AD. [[Khalili Collections|Khalili Collection]].
File:Stone mortar unearthed at Khirbet Shumeila.jpg|A stone mortar unearthed at [[archaeological site]] in [[Israel]]
File:Conjunto almofariz e pilão de ferro fundido- Museu da Capitania de Ilhéus.jpg
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Cupstone]]
* [[Dheki]]
*[[Dolly pot]]
* [[Makitra]]
* [[Metate]]
* [[Millstone]]
* [[Muddler]]
* [[Molcajete]]
* [[Oralu kallu]]
* [[Quern-stone]]
* [[Stone and muller]]
* [[Suribachi and surikogi]]
* [[Usu (mortar)|''Usu'' and ''Kine'']], large pestle and mortar used in the production of [[mochi]]
* [[Yagen]]
* [[Household Stone tools in Karnataka]]
* [[The Knight of the Burning Pestle]]
{{Div col end}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Mortars and pestles}}
* [http://www.retsch.com/products/milling/mortar-grinders/rm-200/function-features/ Example of an automatic mortar grinder]

{{Prehistoric technology}}
{{Kitchen tools}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mortar And Pestle}}
[[Category:Food grinding tools]]
[[Category:Alchemical tools]]
[[Category:Laboratory porcelainware]]
[[Category:Laboratory equipment]]
[[Category:Professional symbols]]
[[Category:Kebaran culture]]
{{二次利用|date=23 February 2025, at 17:39}}