If you like Mexican food, you’re probably familiar with the molcajete, the Mexican mortar and pestle, traditionally made of volcanic rock.Used by Mesoamerican civilizations to crush and combine ingredients like spices, chiles and herbs, the molcajete continues to be used for the same purposes and is often preferred over blenders and food processors.
Why? The volcanic rock is said to give the food a unique mineral flavor impossible to achieve with modern cookware. If you’ve ever eaten salsa or guacamole straight out of a molcajete, you know what I’m talking about.
But beware: to achieve these flavors without risking your health (at the end of the day you’re eating out of a raw rock), you need to know how to buy, use and care for a molcajete.
Volcanic rock or cement? How to pick a molcajete
Volcanic basalt is traditionally the sole material of the molcajete and its tejolote, or pestle. Due to the molcajete’s growing popularity, identical replicas are now made of cement (mainly in China) to meet demand, fooling the unwary consumer.
To tell the difference, check the molcajete’s color: cement molcajetes tend to have a more grayish color than stone ones, which are darker.
Cement molcajetes are also lighter in weight.
But the most obvious difference is the texture, as stone molcajetes have a rougher and more porous surface than those made of cement.
A finer texture can be achieved by polishing the rock, but a stone molcajete will still feel rough to the touch.
Where should you buy a molcajete?
When purchasing a molcajete, make sure to buy from local and artisanal producers instead of supermarkets, particularly the big chain stores, as these tend to sell cement molcajetes rather than authentic stone ones.
Molcajetes made in Guanajuato are especially sought after. In fact, Forbes recently reported that the price of a molcajete made in Guanajuato can cost anywhere from $150-$300 usd in the United States, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong.
How to cure your molcajete
Before using a molcajete for the first time, you’ll need to scrub out the debris and sediment. This is essential to ensure that the food prepared in the molcajete is safe for your health.
To start, pour coarse rock salt or white rice — some people mix these ingredients together— inside the molcajete and grind it with the pestle. As you press down, twist the tejolote to pulverize the ingredients.
When the salt or rice turns gray, remove and add more until it no longer changes color. Afterward, simply rinse the excess powder and ¡listo! The molcajete is ready to use.
How to care for your molcajete
The best way to take care of your molcajete is to avoid using soap on it. While you can use a little amount, it’s best to thoroughly rinse it with tap water, as the pores of the molcajete can accumulate small particles of soap and transfer that taste to your food.
A molcajete is like a cast-iron pan: the flavor of the ingredients you prepare in it becomes infused into its surface and carries over to each recipe. The older the molcajete, the better your food will taste!
Leave a Reply