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The pilão, a "pillar" of our society
A pilão, the large wooden pestle and mortar, is an essential kitchen utensil in Mozambican and African cooking in general, used for grinding food. It is normally made from the trunk of a soft wood, with dimensions ranging between 30 and 70 cm in height, hollowed out by artisanal methods until it acquires the necessary shape. In the cavity, the material to be ground is placed and is then pounded with a smooth pole (the pilão pole), 60 cm to 120 cm long (depending on the size of the pilão), made from a harder wood and with one end rounded.
The pilão can be used by several people at the same time, each with a pole, pounding in turn. It is common for them to sing songs to accompany their movements and beats, resulting in a moment of real relaxation.
As the people say, a home without a pilão is a house without pillars, and therefore without structure
Pilões come in various sizes, depending on their purpose. The larger ones are generally used for crushing and pounding cereals such as maize, beans and sorghum, or various leaves, and for hulling rice, among other things. The smaller ones are normally used for crushing smaller quantities of food, such as garlic, peanuts and cashew nuts, ingredients of the famous peanut curry and other dishes. The pilão pole is also used on its own, to grind pastes more finely, for example maize already ground and mixed with water, in wide clay vessels, with a circular movement.
As the people say, a home without a pilão is a house without pillars, and therefore without structure. In southern Mozambique, the pilão is one of the objects normally given to newlyweds in a ceremony called Xiguiane, on the day after the wedding, as it is considered to strengthen the feeling of family unity.
Other cultures have implements with physical characteristics and functions similar to those of the traditional Mozambican pilão. The mortar, for example, which is smaller, is also used to grind small quantities of products. It is used in cooking, but also in chemical laboratories. Once an essential item in compounding pharmacies, it has now been replaced by electronic instruments.
