Helen's Asian Kitchen Suribachi Set, a traditional Japanese ceramic mortar with wooden pestle, efficiently grinds items into a fine paste or powder. Introduced from Southern China in the 11th century, the Japanese mortar (suribachi) and wooden pestle (surikogi) is an important tool in the Japanese kitchen. The literal translation of suribachi is "grinding bowl." This suribachi grinds to perfection. Its unglazed ridged interior holds ingredients in place for more efficient grinding. The traditional wooden pestle grinds ingredients without the interior ridges wearing down. It's ideal for crushing sesame seeds and all types of nuts, garlic, herbs, and seasonings.