While visiting Chinatown in Vancouver, BC last week, we finally found the mortar and pestle we’ve been seeking ever since we left London. We started watching Jamie Oliver’s shows on FoodTV when we got back to the states, and he uses a large granite mortar and pestle for many of his recipes. The only m&p we were able to find in the states were small marble or ceramic ones that cost a lot for their size.
A small, crowded shop in Chinatown that didn’t accept credit cards finally yielded this treasure: a huge granite mortar and pestle with a slight greenish hue that weighs about 23 pounds. Its bowl is easily large enough to crush up the dry and wet ingredients for a pint of pesto. When you use it, it makes an incredibly satisfying CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH sound as you pound the ingredients in to a pulp. You feel like an elemental force! It said it was made in Thailand. I highly recommend one of these for a satisfyingly visceral food preparation experience.