Before moving to Japan I enjoyed perusing global Asian markets with my best friend Jessi, especially the largest one in Raleigh, North Carolina called Grand Asia Market. This market provided an in-depth spotlight of food, cooking supplies, and more from various Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and more. In my earlier visits, I remember seeing a unique bowl with ridges on the inside and it was paired with a wooden stick. I was so intrigued that I decided to go ahead and buy it. I must say it was one of the best purchases I ever made from that market as well as in general when it came to my arsenal of cooking tools. After doing some research I found out that it was a Japanese mortar and pestle called suribachi and surikogi, respectively!