User:Eggplantcarm/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Mortar and pestle

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
The mortar and pestle is an important piece of technology used in cooking and pharmacology. It has a rich history, and many cultures rely on it for food preparation.

Evaluate the article
This article has a solid introduction that summarizes the mortar and pestle's importance. It's concise and clear but could do a better job of previewing what will be included in the article below.

Most sections are well-developed, but the history section is lacking content with only one general sentence of information. Additionally, while the article summarizes mortar and pestle usage in a number of world regions, it doesn't speak at all about the importance of the wooden mortar and pestle in African cuisines and how enslaved Africans brought this cooking technology with them to the Americas, resulting in dishes like mofongo. My course, a course on African American foodways, is working to address the content gap related to African and African American agricultural and culinary contributions.

The article is neutral and informative but focuses almost exclusively on mortar and pestle usage and materials. More information on its cultural significance and history will make it more robust, and if it is going to discuss how different cultures use the mortar and pestle, it should be sure to include African nations as well.

The sources are mostly reliable (cookbooks, academic journals, etc.), but I think this article could benefit from more citations. There are sections of information that don't appear to have a citation after them.

There are no obvious typos, and there are a number of well-labeled images.

The talk page has some conversation about images, language usage, and tone. There isn't too much about the African history of mortar and pestles beyond a brief discussion of de-husking. The article is included in the WikiProject Food and Drink and a number of categories about food and is listed as high priority.

Overall, I'd say this page is off to a good start but needs major development in history and cultural significance. It includes valuable information on mortars and pestles across a number of cultures, but largely ignores its importance in African and African diaspora cuisines.