The History
Thanks to archeologists we can literally piece together the history of this amazing cooking tool. This type of plate, known as a 'Mortarium', was invented by the Romans, so maybe it's no surprise that today, it's still in use all over the Mediterranean.
The one in the picture was found buried in Hertfordshire, UK; a reminder of just how much influence the Romans had!
Historically, this pottery was baked with grit embedded in its base, providing a rough surface, perfect for rubbing your vegetables against to create a puree.
Today, there is no grit involved!
A special toothed wheel is used to create the rough surface. The plates are produced by an artisan Spanish potter whose family have been throwing pots for four generations, and much of the process is still carried out by hand.
We import these beautiful plates here into the UK, and you'll notice each hand painted pattern seems to contain 'a bit of Spanish sunshine'
They have many names but as it's a small plate used to puree garlic, we call it the little garlic plate. It is not only an amazingly effective cooking tool, but also a beautiful and unique gift for all those foodies out there.
Hand made & painted in Spain
