Batan (stone)

Batan is a very large stone that is usually used to grind different things like spices or grains into a fine powder. Imagine a really big rock that sits on the ground and you can use it to make your food taste better!

People have been using batans for a really long time, even before there were machines that could do the grinding for them. They are usually made from a specific type of rock that is strong enough to handle the pressure and movement of grinding.

To use a batan, you usually put the things you want to grind on top of it and then use another smaller stone to move back and forth on it, applying pressure as you go. This turns the things on top of the batan into a powder that you can use in your cooking.

So, batans are a really cool way that people used to (and still do!) grind up different things to make them easier to use in their everyday lives.