A molcajete and tejolote

A molcajete (Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl mulcazitl) is a stone tool, the traditional Mexican version of the mortar and pestle tool, similar to the south american batan (stone) used for grinding various food products. The molcajete was used by pre-hispanic Mesoamerican cultures including the Aztec and Maya, stretching back several thousand years, and likely evolved from the more primitive metate grinding slab. Traditionally carved out of a single block of porous basalt volcanic rock, molcajetes are typically round in shape and supported by three short legs. They are frequently decorated with the carved head of an animal on the outside edge of the bowl, giving the molcajete the appearance of a short, stout, three-legged animal. The pig is the most common animal head used for decoration of this type. The matching hand-held grinding tool, known as a tejolote (Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl texolotl), is also made of the same basalt material. Most pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican molcajetes were made of ceramic rather than stone, especially among the Aztecs. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2112 × 2816 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2112 × 2816 pixel, file size: 1. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Nahuatl is a native language of central Mexico. ... Ancient stone tools A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made of stone. ... Mortar and pestle Mortar used to pulverise plant material with liquid nitrogen A mortar and pestle is a tool used to grind and mix substances. ... The batan is a kitchen utensil used to process different kinds of foodstuf in soutamerican andean cuisine. ... Location of Mesoamerica in the Americas. ... It has been suggested that Mexica be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. ... A metate is the large stone slab on which grain is crushed with a mano. ... Acorn grinding stone. ... Porosity is a measure of the void spaces in a material, and is measured as a fraction, between 0–1, or as a percentage between 0–100%. The term porosity is used in multiple fields including manufacturing, earth sciences and construction. ... For the cities, see Basalt, Colorado and Basalt, Idaho. ... Ignimbrite is a deposit of a pyroclastic flow. ... For other uses, see Pig (disambiguation). ... Location of Mesoamerica in the Americas. ... It has been suggested that Mexica be merged into this article or section. ...

Molcajetes are used to crush and grind spices, and prepare salsas, and guacamole. The rough surface of the basalt stone creates a superb grinding surface that maintains itself over time as tiny bubbles in the basalt are ground down, replenishing the textured surface. As the porous basalt is impossible to fully clean and sanitize, molcajetes are known to "season" (much like cast iron skillets), carrying over flavors from one preparation to another. Salsas and guacamole prepared in molcajetes are known to have a distinctive texture, and some also carry a subtle difference in flavor, from those prepared in blenders. Molcajetes can also be used as a cooking tool, where it is heated to a high temperature using an open fire or hot coals, and then used to heat its food contents. Although true molcajetes are made of basalt, imitations are sometimes made of a mixture of pressed concrete and volcanic rock particles. For other uses, see Spice (disambiguation). ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Guacamole // Guacamole is an avocado-based relish or dip from the time of the Aztecs. ... Disinfection is the destruction of pathogenic and other kinds of microorganisms by physical or chemical means. ... Cast iron is non-toxic, has excellent heat retention and diffusion properties, and is easy to mold into a variety of shapes. ... An electric blender. ... This article is about the construction material. ...