Pounding Spices

In Vertus there exists an almost weekly ritual for the community. Large wooden pestles are brought out, and laid in a circle adjacent to seats. The ingredients are collected and placed on large tables to be prepared. While large gourds filled with various herbs and boiling water are places on one of the burning flowers to boil.

Once boiling, hollow pipes are connected to the gourds and the smoke is ready to imbibe.

The community comes out, fill of joy and life and the process starts.

The ingredients are prepared through chopping and peeling and dicing, ready to be be brought to the mix. 

And so begins the pounding of the mortar into the pestle.

This group activity will take all afternoon, while several mixtures being prepared. Sometimes an ingredient will be toasted on a rack over the burning flower - to the complaint of a nuncle or two.  

Over the course of the afternoon, all assembled will take turns in doing the pounding, and the talking, and the smoking.

Gossip is a preferred currency on these days, and if the week has been particularly stressful, alcohol is also procured for 'sampling'.

Participants

Involved in this ritual are always the aunties and uncles of the community. Whose aunties and uncles? All of them aunty.
Another key role in the ritual is the runners, who take the pestles between mixtures and are the ones to lift and empty them into the community compost heap.

Jaundistine

Jaundistine is an alcohol made from fermenting the liquid of pulped Galangal and stirring the fluid through the juice of cucumbers.

This is a concoction usually served over ice, but has been made popular outside Vertus in several cocktails.

Primary Related Location

Vertus