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Home » Kitchenware » Mills » Mortar and Pestle » Thai Mortar and Pestle

Thai Mortar and Pestle

Wooden Thai mortar and pestle

Wooden Thai mortar and pestle. miss bossy / flickr / 2009 / CC BY 2.0

Like all mortars and pestles, a Thai Mortar and Pestle (“Saak” and “Krok”) is used to grind foods into a powder, and to make sauces.

Contents hide
  • 1 Types of Thai mortars and pestles
  • 2 Capacity of various sizes of Thai mortars and pestles
  • 3 Cooking Tips
  • 4 History Notes
  • 5 Language Notes

Types of Thai mortars and pestles

There are two kinds, granite and clay.

The granite ones were first popularized in the West by Jamie Oliver. They are made of non-porous granite, and are very heavy and stable.

The other kind, such as those made in the northeast of Thailand, are tall ones, made of clay, with a wooden pestle, used for making dishes such as green papaya salad (“som tam.”)

Both range in width from 9 to 22 cm (6 to 9 inches.)

Capacity of various sizes of Thai mortars and pestles

Approx. diameterApprox. inner bowl widthPestle lengthApprox. weightApprox. volume capacityUses
15 cm / 6 "11 ½ cm / 4 ½″15 cm / 6″3 ¼ kg / 7 lb250 ml / 1 cup / 8 ozGrinding
18 to 19 cm / 7 to 7.5″12 ½ cm / 5″18 cm / 7″5 ½ to 7 ¼ kg / 12 to 16 lb500 ml / 2 cups / 16 ozGrinding, pastes, sauces
20 cm / 8"14 cm / 5 ½″20 cm / 8"8 ¼ kg / 18 lb750 ml / 3 cups / 24 ozGrinding, pastes, sauces
23 cm / 9 "17 cm / 6 ½″23 cm / 9 "11 kg / 24 lb1 ⅓ litres / 5 ½ cups / 44 ozGrinding, pastes, sauces

Cooking Tips

To clean, rinse with warm water and if you wish, unperfumed dish soap (though that’s hard to find.)

History Notes

Mortars and pestles were used in Thailand as early as the 1200s.

Language Notes

In Thai, a mortar is called “Krok”; “pestle” is called “Saak.” Thais refer to them in the opposite order we do, though: thus, pestle and mortar, or, “Saak” and “Krok”.

Stone Thai mortar and pestle

Stone Thai mortar and pestle. Jason Buffington / Pixabay.com / 2012 / CC0 1.0

This page first published: May 28, 2005 · Updated: Oct 26, 2020.

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Tagged With: Mortar and Pestle

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