For a person who is fond of cooking, a mortar is an indispensable accessory in the kitchen, because freshly prepared spices are better than purchased mixtures and have a brighter taste and aroma. Modern manufacturers offer the consumer mortars of various sizes, shapes, materials and qualities. The correct choice depends on what purpose and how often this culinary accessory will be used.
A rock
Stone mortars are suitable for grinding grains, seeds, nuts, fruits. Similar mortars are used in India, Indonesia and Latin America for the preparation of snack pastes: guacamole, sambala, curry, masala. Basalt and granite mortars have the highest hardness, density and abrasion resistance. However, basalt is difficult to polish, so the surface of the basalt mortar is not uniform. It is difficult to grind pasta and spices in it until smooth.
Granite mortars lend themselves well to polishing and have high hardness and strength. The same applies to natural stones such as jasper, agate, onyx and carnelian. The spices in such mortars are rubbed into a powdery state, and the pastes are smooth and homogeneous. Also, stone mortars are good because they do not absorb water and do not react to the effects of fruit acids and natural dyes. The exception is marble, the hardness of which is two times lower than that of other stones. In addition, it absorbs liquid and reacts even to weak acids such as acetic or citric.
The cost of granite and marble mortars is almost the same, therefore, focusing on the quality indicators of the stone, it is recommended to choose granite. As for semi-precious stones, mortars made from them meet all the requirements for quality and appearance, but their cost is quite high.
Wood
Wooden mortars are suitable not so much for grinding as for grinding cereals and seeds. In Japan, rice flour and starch are still made in large wooden mortars. A big plus of such accessories is resistance to acids and alkali. But wood absorbs odors, water and is stained with food dyes, which will cause your favorite accessory to crack sooner or later. When choosing a wooden mortar, look for one made from noble woods - it will last longer if used infrequently. Olive mortars are most often found on store shelves. They are strong enough; they can grind leaves, herbs, seeds, fruits, vegetables and nuts.
Porcelain and glass
The birthplace of porcelain mortars is China. Such an accessory, undoubtedly, can become a star in the kitchen, decorating the interior, and it is the easiest way to wash it. However, porcelain has poor hardness, moisture and chemical resistance compared to natural stone. If you are not going to grind nuts, black and allspice and other hard spices, then a porcelain mortar may be suitable for you. In such a container, it is convenient to grind various pastes, leaves, herbs and crush tablets. No wonder porcelain mortars are an integral part of the pharmaceutical industry.
Glass is the most impractical material for mortars. It is unstable to mechanical and thermal influences and is very fragile. If you purchased a glass mortar, the only thing you can use it for is rubbing herbal bases for mojito cocktails or making soft pastes.
