Denk's hand mortar is made of Granicium®, the hard ceramic material produced from granite processed into rock flour. Water and effective microorganisms are used to produce a clay-like, delicate mass that can only be carefully processed further. The time required is immense, as the drying process in the mold alone takes two weeks before the pestle and grater can be fired at the highest temperature in a gas kiln. However, it is worth it, because the Granicium® with its roughened surface is ideal for this purpose. With just a little pressure on the pestle with the wide grating surface, fresh or dried herbs and spices can be crushed or processed into a paste within a very short time, and pepper and coarse sea salt can even be ground very finely and evenly. This makes the hand mortar ideal for freshly crushing small quantities at the table.