This is a classic Thai granite mortar, and it belongs in the kitchen of every serious cook. Even the limp wristed reviewers who marked down the Oxo salad spinner for not being motorized admitted this type was far and away superior to every other mortar they reviewed. The bowl holds 6 cups and weighs 11 pounds, with a 3 pound pestle.
This kind of mortar is used for pounding lemon grass, ginger, garlic and other resistant herbs and vegetables, as well as spices, etc.
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This deep clay mortar is much used in Laos and Issan provence Thailand, particularly for making the famous Green Papaya Salad. It is accompanied by a Palm Wood pestle, and is used very differently from other mortars.
Strips of green papaya, long beans and other vegetables are lightly bruised so they absorb dressing but are still quite crisp and intact. The pestle strikes at an angle near the top of the contents so the bruising can be precisely controlled. A spoon is used to continuously bring ingredients up from the bottom to where the pestle strikes.
I have an 8 inch and a 9 inch. These are quite economical purchased
directly from Hawaii Supermarket here in Los Angeles (San Gabriel) but
are a bit pricy on-line, 2022 US $45 and up.