Almofariz and gral (mortar and pestle)

A mortar is a thick-walled bowl in which a substance is crushed with a pestle, called pilão or pistilo in Portuguese: a stick with a rounded end. Priberam defines the almofariz as a concave vessel for grinding or powdering ingredients, and traces the word to the Arabic al-miharas. Gral, moedor and morteiro are other names. Mortars are made of wood, clay, stone or metal, and the two parts usually share the same material. The user holds the pestle by its handle and strikes the contents until they are crushed, kneaded or reduced to powder.

Mortars are among the oldest tools there are. Mortars found in Southwest Asia date to about 35,000 BCE, Kebaran stone mortars to 22,000-18,000 BCE, and the Natufians ground cereals, probably for beer, in rock hollows at Raqefet Cave around 10,000 BCE. Material mattered for medicine: bronze mortars spread in the late Middle Ages but corrode with acids, so glazed porcelain mortars became popular from the late 17th century, because chemicals do not harm them and they are easy to clean. Pharmacies once relied on them; they are also used in kitchens and laboratories. The English word pestle comes from Latin pistillum, 'pounder'.