A metate (meh-tah-teh) is most of the times a volcanic stone slab and a sort of rolling pin of the same material, used for processing grain and seeds. In traditional Mesoamerican culture, metates are typically used by women in order to grind calcified maize and obtain the base flour for tortillas, tamales and other corn-based foods.
In the modern world, grinding machines are used to produce the corn flour, but in many regions in Mèxico, the metate grinding tradition is quite alive, since the textures you get with this tool are impossible to obtain with any machine.
It is also used to grind the numerous ingredients needed to make Mole.
Using this grinding method is a tremendous workout! To begin with, you have to kneel in front of the metate and bend forward keeping this position the whole time, then hold the heavy stone pin by both ends, and start grinding using your whole upper body and your arms pressing hard against the stone slab and pushing away and back an infinite number of times until the corn kernels are reduced to powder!
This definitely makes you appreciate a hand-ground tortilla a lot more.
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