Garlic on a board turns into a smear. In a mortar it becomes a paste you can actually cook with. Keep the pestle moving in a circle, not a hammer strike. Wood holds flavor. Wipe it. Do not soak it.
Salt helps
A pinch of salt in the bowl gives the pestle grit so cloves break down faster. Add oil after the paste is fine, not before.
Keep the table calm
One mortar. One linen under it. More kitchen pieces live in the shop catalog.
