Daily Times

Organic vegetables! Organic meat! Organic dairy! The list keeps going on and on. The markets are advertising organic labels to attract customers for higher profits. But is organic labelling enough? When it comes to organic meals, the kitchen tools and techniques also need to be transformed as well. Organic methods of cooking are about going back to ancestral ways of cooking for healthiest and heartiest meals.

With our busy lives, we tend to ignore the age-old methods of food preparation. There was always some wisdom in it, which was the vital ingredient for health.

I remember my grandmother would never let any acidic fruit come in contact with a metallic kitchen utensil. We never used plastics in the kitchen. The batter was beaten with fingers to provide heat to the yeast. There are many such tips that slowly and gradually became out of fashion after the introduction of machines in the kitchen.

An organic grandma’s kitchen would house mortar and pestle as one of the most essential kitchenware. World chefs such as Jamie Oliver introduced pounding of spices as a fashionable trend on television. World’s high-end kitchenware stores import a great variety of mortar and pestle from all over the world, including Africa, China, India, ancient Europe etc. My travel and interest in culinary artistry made me understand the universality of mortar and pestle used in organic cooking.

With our busy lives, we tend to ignore the age-old methods of food preparation. There was always some wisdom in it, which was the vital ingredient for health

In my quest for the best variety of mortar and pestle in stone, I landed in Taxila, the heart of Gandhara. Gandhara was one of the oldest civilizations lying near to Indus River. Considered an important seat of learning for Hindus and Buddhist. Alexander, the Great, passed through this rich and beautiful land and merged its culture with Greek influences. The stone of Taxila was used to carve large stone statutes and columns to support the Greek art and architecture. The grey stone still holds its sturdy quality, which I believe is used in the many Buddhist structures surrounding the area. It is best for intricate carvings of statutes and to-date the marvels of the skill are exhibited in the Taxila Museum.

The grey stone from Taxila is perfect for carving because of this density and strength. Skilful artisans are able to make the most intricate images on Taxila slabs. The stone is also used widely for pestle and mortar as well as other grain grinding ware. The stone is further hammered to give rougher ridges. This takes the grinding quality a notch up.

The best traditional way to clean any stoneware is to throw some dry rice and grind it. This helps to polish off the surface and remove tiny particles of stone stuck if any. Mortar and pestle are an efficient and environmentally-friendly option. Besides improving the recipes, researchers have found the innocuous pounding action to be effective for countering stress.

The crushing of the ingredients releasing oils and flavours, enhancing food quality and aroma. Cooking and eating should be an enjoyable experience for a family. We transfer a wealth of traditional knowledge to the young when they participate in the preparation of the meal. They learn about spices, herbs and listen to their taste buds while becoming less reliant on prepared foods and fast foods. It all about the right choices. Australian celebrity chef and restaurateur, Kylie Kwong said, “I passionately believe that our food choices should be ethical, sustainable and supportive of both human and natural environment. To cook beautiful meals, you don’t need exotic ingredients, just fresh food and flavour, as nature intended.”

The writer is a wellness and yoga expert