This is the Thai mortar and pestle, it's much larger than the western version. In the west the mortar and pestle are used to crush only fine spices, but in Thailand cuisine, many ingredients are crushed in this vessel, chillis, papaya and sauces are all mixed and created directly in the mortar. 'bok bok' is the name used to describe the action of crushing ingredients in a mortar, mimicking the sound.
Description
The mortar is made of clay, 15cms (6 inches) high, while the pestle is usually made of hard wood, 30cms 12 inches long. You can obtain both from a Chinese or Asian supermarket.
Usage
To crush ingredients, raise the pestle and bring it down in repeated blows against the food using the weight of the pestle to help you. This is a very different action to the grinding action used with a western pestle.
Comments (2)
I have one of these. After much searching, it becomes obvious that this is the only one to buy. Other versions are way to small especially when making spicy papaya salad and other dishes with a lot of liquid or food. I paid $15 for the set at my local Asian market.
Posted by Jimmy | November 21, 2005 8:50 PM
Posted on November 21, 2005 20:50
Hiya all, I have searched alot to find this online and can not see where to buy one in the web? Based in the UK where acn I buy this online?
[Appon]
I don't think people sell them online, they are heavy and cheap and so not worth selling. Try your Asian grocers, this was the first site I found searching for UK thai shops, you can always ask them over the phone: http://www.thailand-uk.com/shopping/index.php
Posted by Nitaya | August 5, 2006 11:13 AM
Posted on August 5, 2006 11:13