MORTAR OR LUSONG..........SONG IN B'LAAN LANGUAGE

MORTAR OR SONG is a big wooden mortar for pounding rice used by B'laans during harvesting and preparation for cooking...Rice is so important meals of B'laan people in the community.....TO START WITH......They put bundles of the dried rice stalks in mortar or song and begins the preparation process. The big wooden mortar or song was filled with rice and they begin pounding the rice, alternating hits and continuing on for about 15 to 20 minutes. So slowly that they could see the grains of rice beginning to depart from their husks. The rice then placed in the sifter or taaf or flat basket and sift to get rid of the loose husks. The rice that they pounded, many of the grains were broken from pounding process. After an hour of preparation the rice was ready to be cooked in pot over a wood burning fire. The meals of B'laan people were simple yet deicious. I truly appreciate B'laan people and I'm amazed of the quality of their rice......