Noodles and Rice

Goma Grinder

by Tom on November 17th, 2007

Half grater, half mortar and pestle is this Japanese goma grinder.  It works in the same way as a mortar and pestle in that you pound and grind the contents with a rounded stick.  But inside the bowl it is all serrated life a cats tongue. 

It is usually used for grinding Goma (sesame seeds) but I have also had success with dried herbs and spices.  The essential action is swirling the contents against the serrations like you were stirring a cake batter.

The Japanese have a term for someone who “Crawls” or “Brown noses” and it basically means a Goma grinder.  Someone who will do anything (even the little boring jobs) to make someone happy.

So the moral is, don’t Be a goma grinder but do Get a goma grinder.

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POSTED IN: Cooking Equipment and Tools, Japanese