What Is a Suribachi?
A suribachi is a traditional Japanese mortar with fine ridges inside, used for grinding and mashing. Paired with a wooden pestle (surikogi), it’s an essential tool in Japanese kitchens, especially for preparing sauces, dressings, and small-batch purees. Unlike Western mortars, its grooved ceramic surface helps release deep flavors and aromas, especially from seeds and soft ingredients.
Why I Finally Bought One
For the longest time, I thought a suribachi was just for serious home cooks—the kind who make their own miso and grind sesame seeds daily. Me? I kept thinking: What if I buy one and never use it?
That changed when I realized: you can bring it straight to the table and use it as a serving bowl. Even when I’m too tired or busy, it doubles as a rustic, charming dish for sides. Less cleanup, more charm.
How I Use My Suribachi (More Than You’d Think!)
✨ Grind Sesame Seeds (and Make the Sauce Right There!)
The most classic use. Toast your sesame seeds, grind them in your suribachi, and then just keep going — add some soy sauce, miso, or a little vinegar and turn it into a quick sesame sauce or dressing.
And yes, freshly ground sesame smells AMAZING. If you’ve got the time and headspace, give it a go.
☕ Powder Tea Leaves
You can gently grind green tea leaves into a fine powder (konacha) and drink it whole. It’s rich in antioxidants and gives a deeper tea experience.
But tea doesn’t have to stay in your cup—you can bake with it too!
I recently ground up some roasted green tea (hojicha) in my suribachi and used it to make cookies. Hojicha is naturally low in caffeine, so it’s a great option for kids. And guess what? My daughter loved them.
Once your tea is powdered, you can mix the dough right there in the same bowl. It’s easy, cozy, and makes your kitchen smell amazing.
Green tea cookies with real tea leaves? Yes, please.
🌿 Smash Umeboshi (Pickled Plums)
If you’ve ever made a plum-based sauce or dressing, you know chopping umeboshi with a knife is… sticky. The suribachi makes it so much easier. Just mash the plums right in the bowl, then add your seasonings. You can even use it as your serving bowl.
🥑Mash Avocados or Bananas (No Slipping!)
Soft foods like avocados and bananas can slide around on flat plates, right? The grooves in the suribachi give just enough grip to keep them in place. Great for quick dips or banana purée. Bonus: serve it right from the bowl!
⚡ Make Fluffy Tororo (Grated Yam)
Suribachi is also essential for making tororo, the fluffy, grated Japanese yam often served over rice or noodles. While you can grate the yam directly in the suribachi, it takes a bit of time and effort.
Youcan also Grate the yam first with a regular grater, then transfer it to the suribachi and give it a good mix. The grooves help incorporate air and break down the fibers, turning the yam into a silky, cloud-like texture！
The more you work it in the suribachi, the whiter and fluffier it becomes, full of delicate little bubbles. It’s truly satisfying!
Japanese yam is packed with nutrients and known for its stamina-boosting and recovery benefits—not to mention, it tastes amazing too.
🍼 Baby Food Time
Yes, even for baby food! A soft ceramic or microwave-safe plastic suribachi works well for mashing cooked veggies, rice porridge, or even fish. If you’re already cooking for yourself, it’s easy to prep a tiny portion for baby too.
🌟 It’s Not Just for Japanese Food
I use mine to grind flaxseeds, pine nuts, and even peppercorns. It’s smaller and prettier than Western mortars—and honestly, more fun to use.
And here’s a fun twist: it’s also great for delicate herbs like basil. When making pesto or other herb-based sauces, the suribachi lets you grind gently without generating heat—something that can dull the flavor of fresh greens in a food processor.
I was curious about how real Italian chefs make traditional Genovese pesto. So I started looking around—and sure enough, many still use a marble mortar called a mortaio (that’s the one on the left in the photo! https://cesarine.com/it/experiences/il-pesto-di-basilico-al-mortaio-dQrqqgqJYP) to hand-crush basil. No surprise—the texture and aroma are unbeatable.
If you’re working with heat-sensitive herbs like basil, using a suribachi instead of a blender helps preserve the flavor and freshness. It’s the same idea with other tender greens, too—gentle pressure, no heat, big flavor.
So whether it’s sesame for Japanese dishes or basil for Italian ones, this little bowl really does it all. Unexpectedly international, right?
4. Benefits of Using a Suribachi
5. Which One to Buy (Beginner-Friendly Tips)
○ Pick one you like looking at – if it’s pretty, you’ll use it more!
○ Start small or medium – around 12–18 cm (5–7 inches) is ideal
○ Choose ceramic with glaze on the outside and ridges on the inside
I use a medium-sized ceramic suribachi—mine is about 15.5 cm (around 6 inches) in diameter. It’s a bit small for making fluffy tororo, but it works beautifully for just about everything else. I use it almost daily, and it’s sturdy, easy to clean, and cute enough to go from kitchen to table.
Once my child gets older and we’re cooking bigger portions, I might upgrade to a larger size. But for now, this one is surprisingly handy!
💡 Here are a few options depending on your needs and kitchen size (Amazon US):
❤️Beginner-Friendly
Easy to handle and includes pestle
🎍Traditional Style
Authentic, made in Japan, beautiful design
Tip: Make sure your suribachi comes with a wooden pestle (called a surikogi) or buy one separately!
6. Final Thoughts
I hesitated at first, but now I reach for my suribachi almost daily. Whether I’m making sauce, prepping lunch, or mashing baby food, it brings flavor, ease, and joy to my everyday cooking.
So if you’re curious—go for it. You might just fall in love with this little grooved bowl too.
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