mortaio

A mortaio, or mortar in English, is a bowl-shaped vessel used together with a pestello (pestle) to grind, crush, or mix substances. The interior surface is typically rough to improve grinding, while the exterior may be smooth or patterned. Mortai come in a range of sizes and are made from materials such as stone (especially granite or marble), ceramic, metal, or wood.

In culinary contexts, the mortaio is used to pulverize spices, herbs, garlic, or seeds, and to prepare pastes and emulsions such as pesto or spice blends. Its manual grinding action can release essential oils and aromas that differ from those produced by a blade or grinder. In pharmacy and traditional medicine, mortai were used to crush medicines and other compounds into powders or pastes for compounding.

Common design variants include heavy stone mortai favored by chefs for durability and grinding efficiency, ceramic mortai for precision and ease of cleaning, and metal mortai for durability and non-porous surfaces. A pestello is usually shorter than the rim of the mortaio to allow stable grinding. Care and maintenance depend on material: stone mortai may be seasoned by grinding dry rice to remove grit and should be rinsed with warm water without harsh detergents; metal mortai can be wiped clean but may react with strongly acidic substances; ceramic mortai are generally easy to clean but can chip if mishandled.

Anthropologically, mortai have a long history across cultures as essential tools for food preparation, medicine, and metallurgy, reflecting the shared human need to transform ingredients through manual grinding.