Pestle

Title
Pestle
Year/Period
Mid 20th century
Region
Singapore
Material
Stone
Dimension
Object size: H12.7 x D18cm
Accession No.
1995-00020-001
NLB Type
Cultural artefact

This is a granite mortar, a traditional cooking utensil used together with a pestle. It is also known as ‘batu lesong’ in Malay. Fresh spices and herbs are placed in the mortar and pounded using a pestle. The pestle is moved back and forth in a circular motion around the mortar until the ingredients become a smooth paste. Till today, some cooks still use the traditional mortar and pestle as the pounding of ingredients yields maximum flavour.