As far as the “how of cooking” is concerned, it is interesting to find various forms of the mortar and pestle in many cultures, including that of the first Europeans who came to the glittering shores of the then Gold Coast; Europeans from Portugal and by inference Spain and Italy.
According to Wikipedia, the mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone. The pestle is a heavy club-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The substance to be ground is placed in the mortar and ground, crushed or mixed with the pestle.
The English word mortar derives from classical Latin mortarium, meaning, among several other usages, “receptacle for pounding” and “product of grinding or pounding”. Mortars and pestles come in an amazing variety of shapes, sizes and in materials like basalt (volcanic rock) marble, granite, hard wood, bronze alloy, aluminium, clay, glass, stainless steel and even plastic.
They were invaluable and indispensable to the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Aztecs, Mayans, Polynesians and other pre-historic civilizations. Whether used by an apothecary, a mason or a cook, the mortar and pestle were and still are a perfect twosome. Especially in a time when many a kitchen gadget is automated and intended to be a labour-saving device for busy cooks, isn’t is intriguing to see assorted hand choppers, mincers, shakers, mortars and pestles in use by many, whether complete novice or celebrity chef?
This brings us to Ghana where our pestles and mortars are mainly for culinary use. They come in various shapes and sizes and are made of wood, clay, stone, granite or cast aluminium. They are used for grinding, de-husking (hulling), crushing, puréeing and sometimes even as cookware and tableware. The mortar and pestle are named separately and various tribes call each part of the pair by different names, all of which are usually translated as “grinding bowl”, “grinding stone” or “pounding vessel” and “pounder”.
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The peculiar thing about Ghanaian mortars and pestles is that depending on what task they are to be used for, they differ in shape, size and the material from which they are made.
The first group includes those for grinding ingredients into paste, puree or sauce. There are two main types even within this group: the grinding bowl and the grinding stone. Depending on the dialect or tribal language, they could be called aportoryewa, asanka, kahn or other, meaning “grinding bowl”.
Normally they are shaped like wide-lipped bowls that taper slightly towards the base. They may have a flat base or sometimes the base is concave, supported by three knobs or finger-like protrusions arranged in a tripod formation. In size, they basically range from 5 inches-14 inches in upper diameter. Any size larger than this is better suited for tableware, especially when a group of people, usually a family eat together.
Even the pestle for this kind of mortar (called tapori in many dialects which literally translates into “pushing paddle”) is distinctively hourglass shaped. It is always made of hard wood that is sculpted and sanded down very well for a smooth finish. This allows the user to firmly clutch it and also means that both ends of the tapori can be used for grinding, although not at any one time.
Unlike the electric blender or food processor which only requires the push of a button, using the aportoryewa, asanka or kahn and the tapori requires a skillful technique that many learn from their childhood. I vividly recall my mother teaching me how to use it at about 5 years of age when I was learning to help with little tasks while she cooked.
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One must ideally slice or chop the ingredients to be ground in order to reduce particle size as it were, to make the grinding easier. The cook grips one end of the tapori and crushes the ingredients placed in the center of the mortar, dragging the pestle short distances from the center and back again, all the while exerting pressure. It involves more flexing of the wrist than a movement of the whole arm while the other arm keeps the mortar firmly in place as the grinding progresses. This continues till the desired texture is achieved.
Take note that in grandmother’s cooking school, a good cook (a female cook as per the dictates of Ghanaian tradition) is often judged by how well she uses her aportoryewa for she must make certain the paste stays as close to the centre as possible, ensuring that the outer border and the lip or brim of the mortar is clean. She may occasionally use her fore finger or the edge of the tapori to scrape the contents back into the center.
Despite the fact that it seems fragile, A well-fired aportoryewa can even be used on the charcoal fire, gas burner, electric hob or even in an oven. Whatever is ground in the aportoryewa is typically served in the same earthenware, making it a dual purpose cooking utensil; much like an oven-to-table dish.
I am sure you can find a perfect example of its use as tableware in more than one picture elsewhere on this blog! Want to know a secret? I often use my aportoryewa and tapori for sauces like salsa romescu, pesto and hummus which are anything but Ghanaian!
The mortar and pestle is used extensively in cooking and processing in Shea Forest communities. In fact, the traditional way to make shea butter involved crushing the seeds in a large mortar and pestle and then grinding them again after they were roasted.
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Table of Ghanaian Mortar and Pestle Uses and Materials
| Use | Material | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Grinding ingredients into paste | Wood, clay, stone, granite, cast aluminum | Wide-lipped bowls tapering towards the base |
| Shea butter processing | Large wooden mortar and pestle | Crushing and grinding shea seeds |
| Tableware | Earthenware | Serving food directly from the grinding bowl |
Baraka Shea Butter is handmade by women in northern Ghana using age-old traditions and techniques. It is core to traditional life and to their economic well-being. You make a difference with every purchase from Baraka, or from people who make products with Baraka Shea Butter. It has a direct impact on hard-working women and their families.
An elder hand-making a pestle for use in a large mortar and pestle showcases amazing craftsmanship passed down through generations.
Shea Butter 🧈 production (organically) Africa - Ghana
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