zxcvbob wrote:
>
> I was talking to a missionary home on furlough from Niger; one of the
> things she mentioned was how the Fulani women spend hours every day
> pounding millet in big wooden mortar & pestles to make flour for the
> daily meals.
>
> I was wondering what the introduction of some 19th century technology --
> a cast iron hand-crank grain mill big enough for a village, or several
> small "Corona" mills -- might do... and the unintended consequences.
>
> After reading more about the process, I'm not sure a mill would be as
> revolutionary as I originally thought; they thresh and winnow the grain
> every day, and then winnow the flour to remove the bran and husks, so
> there's a lot of time consumed doing other steps besides pounding.
>
> I don't really have a point; just thought it was interesting and might
> be worth discussing.
>
> Bob

Grinding would end up with a different texture than pounding. If those
women wanted *ground* grain, they would do it with a grinding stone
setup (like a metate) or a quern, both of which likely exist in their
environment. The pounding ritual is a social event as well. No point in
fixing what isn't actually broken.