A mortar and pestle is a heavy bowl that comes with a short, blunt, thick stick that looks like a miniature baseball bat. It is a multipurpose tool used for grinding, crush and puréeing, and for making pastes and powders.
Mortar and Pestle
Samp Mortar
A samp mortar is a tool for grinding dried corn. The mortar was made from the stump of a tree burned hollow, scraped clean and polished.
Suribachi
A suribachi is a Japanese mortar. Inside the bowl, it has ridges to help grind food item more easily and evenly. The pestles are made of wood, so as to not wear down the ridges over time.
Thai Mortar and Pestle
A Thai Mortar and Pestle is used to grind foods into a powder, and for making sauces. It will typically be made of either granite, or clay. Note though that Thais refer to it the other way round: as Pestle and Mortar!
Usu
Usu are large Japanese mortars about the size of a medium barrel used to pound cooked sticky rice in preparation for making mochi.