Abstract: The present invention is hand operated food grinding apparatus into which is designed a series of opposing parallel ridges to enable the food item such as garlic, peppercorn, spices, coffee etc. to be ground into coarsely ground portions or finely ground portions depending on the arrangement and design of the opposing parallel ridges. The hand grinding apparatus has a base having an upper surface made of a series of parallel ridges separated by parallel groves wherein each of the parallel ridges has a flat upper surface, and also comprises a top member having a lower surface made of an opposing series of parallel ridges separated by parallel grooves wherein each of the parallel ridges has a surface, and wherein a respective ridge of the base member is aligned with a respective ridge of a top member or a respective ridge of a base member is offset from a respective ridge or a top member.