Laurel Mortar & Pestle

The Story Behind it & Why We Love It This Classic Wooden Mortar & Pestle is hand-carved by Hector in a small town surrounded by the Andes Mountains, Volcanoes, and Lakes in the South of Chile. Hector uses the traditional indigenous techniques of the Mapuche people to carve the stool. The type of wood used is named 'Laurel' in Spanish, which we know as Bay Leaf Tree.  We love using it to grind our spices in for cooking and for tea. We often grind fresh Chai spices in it to make the perfect Chai tea latte with freshly ground cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, ginger, and fennel. Wood Carving in the South of Chile is one of the most traditional manifestations of the indigenous Mapuche people, inherited from generation to generation, where they use native wood from the forests.