Sieve Support

Chetdari, or sieve support, is a tool to be placed in between the sieve and the bowl when filtering food and liquid, and was also called chetdori or chebal. A sieve support was generally used to filter wine or seasonings, but it was often used on a jar for growing bean sprouts or gaining lye for laundry as well, or as a substitute for a millstone support. A hole was often pierced at one end of the four wood pieces, which were joined with a thread before being placed to cross each other inside the lower bowl, on which a millstone or a sieve was placed. This sieve support evidently appeared along with the use of a sieve for grinding grains for flour or for extracting liquid. A sieve support was usually made of wood, and slightly curved inward at the center to create a dimple. The holes at the center allow it to be put on top of a jar, and then a sieve would be placed on top of it in order to filter wine or soy sauce. There was no set shape for this tool, but the most common version was a Y-shaped support made from a forked branch.