Mortar is a cup-shaped kitchen tool, equipped with a pestle that is used to grind many ingredients. It can be made of marble, wood or stone and it usually has very thick walls. The ingredients should be put in the mortar in small quantities, adding the rest as the previous dose is crushed; the pestle must be pressed with energy, not beaten, nor rotated.

The mortar, once essential for making pesto, is now more frequently replaced with the mixer.