This piece is a mill (Batu Boh) probably used in the preparation of the spices and pastes needed in Peranakan cuisine. It is made from rough and heavy granite. It has a Q-shaped base that is concaved at the edges with a circular top. This top has two holes, one at the top and one at the edge. The Batu Boh is used for grinding flour from rice, wheat or other grains. Peranakan cuisine is a blend of tastes borrowed from various communities. These include recipes from Chinese, Malay, Javanese, Indian and even European palates. Since Peranakan dishes require a lot of preparation, tools such as the Batu Boh are important in the crushing, pounding and grinding of the numerous ingredients and spices used. This helps to release the natural fragrances of the ingredients or mill them to correct consistency.
