- suribachi : Suribachi refers to the Japanese mortar which has originated in Southern China and introduced to Japan between the eleventh and twelfth centuries. This two-piece kitchen tool was first used for preparing herbal medicines. The Suribachi (mortar) is a ceramic bowl with a ridged pattern on the inside to ease grinding, while a wooden pestle called Surikogi is used to grind seeds, pepper, miso, fish flakes, herbs, vegetables, and many more to create many of the dishes common to Japanese cuisine.

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Other /More definition:
Suribachi refers to a Japanese bowl with a corrugated pattern on the inside which is used as a mortar. It is glazed ceramic on the outside and unglazed on the inside, often brown and beige in colour. It is a necessary kitchen tool to grind sesame seeds into a paste.