Home of the “grinding bowl”
”Grinding bowl” is an essential tool for making Japanese food. For instance, it is used to grind sesame to make sesame marinade for vegetables, to grate yam, and to mince sardines for fish balls.
While many families in modern times do not own a grinding bowl, the benefits of grinding bowls are gaining attention, such as the unique texture that cannot be achieved with food processors, the distinct aroma of the ingredients, and the practical use of smaller grinding bowls as servings bowls.
Maruhon Seitojo holds 70 % of the grinding bowl market in Japan.
This well established company’s history goes back to 1911, so it just celebrated its 100th anniversary. The grinding bowls made by this company are very popular mainly for because of the hard texture and carefully made comb like pattern. Mino region is well known for pottery production, and Maruhon Seitojo also takes on the tradition.
Comb like patterns effect the taste of food
The comb like pattern on the bowl is actually made with a comb, one by one, by hand before baking in the kiln.
Making the pattern requires extreme skill, since the quality of the completed product will be jeopardized if there is a problem with even the smallest elements such as the pressure applied to the bowl or the angle of the comb. Nakata had the opportunity to experience this step. He also got to experience applying glaze on the bowl.
¥Used creatively, it can be a very useful cooking tool. It can be used to prepare western style foods as well. For example, you can grind garlic and herbs to make salad dressing, or grind basil leaves to make pasta sauce.
If you don’t have one in your kitchen, why not consider getting one?
