Clay

You shouldn’t live without this Thai mortar and pestle according to Saveur magazine (December 2009). Use this clay mortar and wood pestle set (kruk or kleuk in Thai) for lighter duty kitchen jobs like papaya salad and nam prik chili paste. Quickly prepare curry pastes, marinades, pound garlic and peppercorns. Make spice rubs, tapenades, pestos and vinaigrette dressing. Made from beautiful natural clay, it’s both functional and attractive. The extra deep cone-shaped bowl makes this mortar ideal for combining and crushing salad ingredients, so that the flavors blend and absorb into each other. The wood pestle is extra-long, making pounding easy and efficient. This type of clay “Laos” mortar and pestle set is part of every traditional kitchen in the Northeast of Thailand (Issan) and in Laos. In Laos the mortar is called cloke and pestle sok. This clay set is a must have tool for making Som Tom, spicy papaya salad. This beautiful natural earth-toned mortar makes the perfect gift for the cook who has everything and will give you years of service. To maintain the set, from time to time inspect it for cracks. Cracks are easily detected by holding the mortar by its base and tapping the rim. If the sound is clear and not muffled it most likely has no cracks. If it develops a crack, discard it and purchase a new one. Food particles can easily remain in fine cracks and have the potential of breeding food borne germs. A good Thai mortar and pestle is a relatively inexpensive item. These mortars are handmade from natural clay in Thailand. Colors and dimensions vary slightly, with rough patches on the interior and exterior of the mortar. Rinse with warm water and drip dry to clean, usually dish soap only if needed.