Grinding and pounding? Not the same as many people think!

Grinding and pounding? Not the same as many might think!

At first glance, many might think that grinding and pounding, particularly when it comes to food, are the same. But in reality, they are entirely different, and each process produces distinct results. So, what exactly are they, and how do they differ? Let’s explore in the section below.

Grinding and pounding are two processes that affect the texture of materials. These processes can be applied in various fields, but this article will focus solely on their applications in food, with the concepts discussed being based on food processing.

Similarities

Though they are entirely different, it cannot be denied that they do share some similarities, especially in appearance. This is often what causes confusion for many people.

Both grinding and pounding are processes aimed at breaking down food into finer, smaller particles. Initially, the food might be a large chunk, which is then reduced to a more dispersed, finer, and smaller form.

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Differences

While they may look similar on the surface, they are fundamentally different inside!

Grinding can be understood as a mechanical process that uses cutting blades to chop food into smaller pieces. The smaller the pieces, the finer the texture becomes. Depending on the initial moisture content, the result can be somewhat fine or fluffy. Grinding breaks down the structure by cutting through bonds but doesn’t affect the internal cells of the food much.

The term "grinding" is also used in processes like rice grinding or peanut grinding, but these should actually be called milling, which involves the abrasion between two stone disks (using pressure and friction) to crush or break down the material, unlike the cutting process mentioned earlier.

Pounding, on the other hand, is a mechanical process using a hammer or pestle to crush food. The hammer smashes the food, breaking down its structure and weakening the internal bonds. Pounding can affect the cells, causing them to break and release their contents, making the food more mushy.

It can be seen that grinding focuses on chopping and cutting, while pounding emphasizes smashing and using pressure to crush, even down to the cellular level.

Based on these differences, grinding results in a more fragmented, crumbly product that can be fine or mushy depending on the moisture content. Pounding, however, produces a sticky, mushy product with a certain elasticity because the bonds are weakened rather than cut, and the moisture and stickiness increase due to the cell fluids being released.

These differences also explain why squid paste needs to be pounded with a mortar instead of being ground, or why roasted peanuts feel coarse when ground and lack the aroma, fat, and richness of hand-pounded roasted peanuts. Similarly, peanut oil is extracted by pressing (which also uses pressure), rather than grinding to extract the oil.

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