What is the purpose and name of this object?

January 20, 2013 4:49 PM

My friends have a house-sit. The house's owners possess two of these objects. We don't recognize them. The blades are sharpened, and they were stored beneath the sink. We have some strong theories, but no real answers. The owners are Bangladeshi Americans, if that helps.

(with apologies for the ads on the photo page).

posted by eyesontheroad to home & garden (5 answers total)

They were stored in the kitchen, to be sink-specific.
posted by eyesontheroad at 4:52 PM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Boti.
posted by lampoil at 5:10 PM on January 20 [3 favorites]

About 40 seconds into this video, you can see a women using a boti to cut vegetables.
posted by misha at 5:28 PM on January 20

That is, indeed, a boti! Grandma would use one while shredding the coconuts to make bhapa pitha! (sudden craving ensues)
posted by raihan_ at 6:22 PM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Yep - I never knew the name for it, but my (Sri Lankan) grandmother used one to open and gut coconuts.
posted by bunglin jones at 6:35 PM on January 20 [1 favorite]