How To Season A Mortar And Pestle: A Step By Step Guide
What is a mortar and pestle used for in Lao food?
A Lao mortar and pestle is an essential tool in all Lao kitchens. It's used to make jeows (dips), curry paste, sticky rice thickeners for stews, and the iconic Lao papaya salad. The tall walls are perfect for crushing fresh aromatic ingredients like garlic, onion, herbs, and galangal when making curries. It can also be used for grinding dry spices such as coriander, cumin, black pepper, and cardamom. Generally, a medium-sized mortar and pestle should be sufficient, but if you have the space, I recommend getting both a small one for dips and a large one for making larger quantities of Lao dishes for parties. This tool is important because it breaks down fats and food particles more effectively than a blender, which simply tears the ingredients apart. There are many different types of mortars and pestles, but I prefer the Lao style, known in Lao as "kohk" and "sahk." I will explain the differences between Lao and other mortars in the text below.
Why It's Important To Season A Mortar And Pestle
Investing time in the seasoning process for your Lao mortar and pestle will save you a lot of trouble in the future. Since these mortars and pestles are made of clay, an organic material, it's crucial to thoroughly clean off any dirt from the surface. Seasoning a new mortar not only ensures better-tasting food by preventing unwanted flavors and odors from mixing, but it also helps your mortar and pestle last longer.
Choosing The Right Type Of Mortar And Pestle
There are hundreds of types of mortars and pestles available on the market, so it's important to choose one that suits your style of cooking. They can be made from various materials, including wood, clay, granite mortar, marble mortar, and aluminum. One popular type is the molcajete, a traditional Mexican tool made of stone, used for grinding dips and foods like salsa and guacamole. However, Mexican mortars are typically too shallow for Lao-style cooking. For Lao dishes, you'll want a mortar with tall sides to contain splashes as you grind the food. The best mortar for you depends on the type of cooking you plan to do.
The Difference Between Lao and Thai Mortar and Pestles
Thai mortars are more accessible since they are shipped worldwide and can often be found online or at local Southeast Asian markets. These mortars are typically made of granite stone and looks like a large thick bowl. Pailin wrote a great article on Thai mortar and pestles here. In contrast, some Lao mortars are thin at the top and bulky at the bottom, often featuring a slight design around the top. The more common Lao mortar and pestle look similar but are the same thickness from the base to the top. I prefer the Lao style because its what I grew up using. The pestles are usually made of wood. Sometimes the Lao ones are mislabeled as Thai, and here is a link to get one of the Lao mortar and pestles.
Materials You Will Need
In the process of seasoning a Lao mortar and pestle, you will want to grab water, soap, sticky rice, and some mineral oil. Each item is needed to make sure your cookware is properly seasoned and latest for decades.
Step 1: Washing The Mortar And Pestle
Depending on where you purchase your mortar, it may be very dusty and dirty from sitting on shelves for months or even years. To clean it, rinse the mortar and pestle thoroughly a few times with warm water and a little bit of dish soap until the water runs clear. Make sure all the soap is rinsed off. If the water remains dirty, use a brush to scrub the sides until they are clean.
Step 2: Grinding Rice in The Mortar And Pestle
Soak half a cup of sticky rice in warm water for at least an hour to soften it. Add two tablespoons of the soaked rice into the cleaned mortar and grind it with the pestle. Use a swirling and up-and-down motion to ensure the rice covers the entire surface area, helping to catch any trapped dirt. Repeat this process 2-3 times until the rice powder remains white with no discoloration.
Step 3: Drying the Mortar and Pestle
This is a very easy step but also very important as you want the pestle to be completely dry before the next step.
Step 4: Oiling the The Pestle
The final step is ensuring the wooden pestle is well-oiled. I learned this the hard way when one of my pestles cracked because it wasn't oiled. Depending on your climate, it might be too dry for your pestles and other wooden cookware. Applying a light coating of mineral oil will help your wooden pestle last much longer and prevent cracks. It also adds a nice natural shine to the wood. Oiling the pestle also prevents strong flavors like garlic and spices from seeping into the wood, as the oil creates a protective barrier. I recommend oiling your pestle once a month.
Tips For Maintaining A Seasoned Mortar And Pestle
Mortar and pestles can be passed down to family members and last for decades as long as they are cared for. You can repeat the above process once a year to make sure your mortar is clean and your pestle doesn’t crack. Comment below what other things you do to maintain your Lao cookware.
Sabaidee, I’m Saeng!
I’m a personal chef who specializes in Lao food. Here at Saeng’s Kitchen, you’ll find all your favorite traditional Lao foods and also some new twists to Lao style dishes.