flavor to the food, although nowadays other woods are more common. The bowls have a diameter from 10cm to 30cm. To use the suribachi the bowl is set on a non-slip surface, such as a rubber mat or a damp towel, and the surikogi is used to grind the material. Recently, plastic versions of the suribachi have also become popular, but they have a much shorter lifespan.
The suribachi and surikogi arrived in Japan from China around 1000 AD. The mortar was first used for medicine, and only later for food products.
A larger sized Japanese mortar used to pound rice is an usu with a pestle called kine.
The highest mountain on Iwo Jima, Mount Suribachi was named after this kitchen device. |