Wooden spoons: features and care

A spoon is one of the most ancient cutlery, which no house can do without it today. The origins of the wooden spoon date back to the Paleolithic era - around this time, people first began to use pieces of wood debris to scoop up food. For many years, such spoons have been undeservedly forgotten, but recently eco-tableware has come back into fashion.

Cutlery made of wood has been widespread for several centuries, but today, despite the abundance of metal and disposable plastic dishes, they have not lost their relevance. Wooden ladles are very convenient for pouring first courses, and scoops made of this material are indispensable when stirring hot food in a non-stick frying pan.

Interesting fact: the very first mention of wood spoons is found in the famous "Tale of Bygone Years", dated 966. The pages of this work describe a feast in the palace of Prince Vladimir, who became known for the fact that the vigilantes were extremely outraged when at the table they were offered to taste the dishes prepared not with silver, but with wooden spoons. Since then, such dishes have been in circulation in Russia for a long time, and even in those years when the rapid development of the metallurgical industry led to the widespread ousting of wooden things from everyday life.

Among the main advantages of wooden spoons are the following.

• Antibacterial properties - with proper processing, the material does not accumulate pathogenic microorganisms.
• Specific aroma, which tends to be transferred to food products and give them a richer and brighter flavor.
• Environmental Safety - it is well known that wood does not contain harmful and toxic substances, therefore it does not harm the body. Moreover, it has the property of having a beneficial effect on the digestion process. These features make it possible to use wooden cutlery for feeding even the smallest children.
• Reduced thermal conductivity - you can safely scoop even the hottest soup with a spoon and will not burn your lips, as happens when using metal appliances.
• Strength - products sawn from wood do not deform, and with proper care they do not crack, split and are not covered with scratches, even if they are exposed to frequent mechanical stress.
• Ease - the cutlery is lightweight, so even weak people can easily hold it in the palms.
• Nice non-slip surface - such spoons do not slip out of hands, they are not cold, they are quite pleasant to the touch.
• Can be used for non-stick cookware - wood spoons do not heat up and do not scratch the surface during cooking in a Teflon-coated pan.

However, wooden spoons have their drawbacks.

• They require special storage conditions and careful care., otherwise the products will not be able to maintain their decorative appearance for a long time. One of these requirements is humidity - it should be about 40-60%.
• Wooden cutlery can only be washed by hand, the dishwasher is not suitable here, the use of abrasive agents and aggressive compounds is not allowed. After each rinsing, wipe the spoons dry with a soft cloth.
• If spoons are in water for a long time, then they become covered with mold, which is impossible to get rid of - such cutlery should be thrown out, their use dangerous for health.
• The tree has a porous structure, therefore, it tends to absorb odors - this means that spoons should not be stored near spicy foods.
• Wooden spoons are more expensive than their metal counterparts.

It is important that wooden spoons go well with glass and ceramic dishes, the main thing in this case is to adhere to a single style in design. So, for example, plates painted using the Gzhel or Khokhloma technique look very impressive with wooden spoons.

Such cutlery creates a unique atmosphere around them, fill the dining room with national Russian flavor and bring coziness - it is no coincidence that from time immemorial wood has been associated with the warmth of the hearth, hospitality and family values.

It should be noted that wooden spoons are widely used as a good musical instrument - all lovers of folk music know that when two spoons come into contact with each other, they emit a very clear, clear and extremely melodic sound. In many countries around the world, schools for playing on wooden spoons have even been created.

The history of these amazing devices in our country originates in several small villages located on the banks of the Uzola and Kerzhenets rivers. In those parts of the country, the lands were infertile, and local residents could not grow a good harvest, which is why woodworking industries became an important source of income.

If you wish, you can make a handmade wooden spoon at home. To do this, you will need the following tools and materials:

• axe;
• hand saw;
• file for woodwork;
• rounded chisel;
• rasp;
• sandpaper;
• pencil;
• wood.

Step-by-step instructions for making cutlery includes several steps.

• Choose a sturdy piece of wood without rot and cracks, after which it should be cut with an ax or sawed with a saw.
• On a flat surface it is necessary to draw a contour of the future device with a pencil.
• With the help of a saw, they are neatly removed all unnecessary areas, and with an ax a rounded shape is given to the outer part of the workpiece.
• It is very important to cut off a thin layer of wood to form the optimal angle between the slice and the handle, it is advisable to walk along the section of their connection with a file.
• At the next stage of work, the handle is polished. In order to get rid of the roughest elements, use coarse sandpaper. At the final stage, it is better to take "zero" - this will make the product more pleasant to the touch.
• Then you can start making a groove in the scoop. - for this, with a chisel, carefully scrape out the wood in small pieces. At the same time, it is very important to keep an eye on the thickness of the spoon - it should not turn out to be too thin.
• When the required form is received, you can clean wood - for this, the strips of sandpaper are fixed to a stick with a round tip and the surface is processed.
• After the spoon is ready, it must be soaked in heated vegetable oil.

Today eco-materials are back in fashion, therefore, natural wood products, including tableware, are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. That is why the manufacture of spoons from wood has acquired a serial character.

Nowadays, on sale you can find whole sets of wooden utensils, turned on a lathe. For their manufacture, special equipment is used: cutters, chisels, brushes with steel bristles, as well as spoon knives and other tools. The technology itself is similar to home technology, but the finished product turns out to be of higher quality, practical and durable.

The art of creating a wooden spoon in Russia has always been well developed. Craftsmen made a wide variety of products that differed in purpose, shape, depth and decorative design. The total number of varieties is large and it is not possible to name their exact number.

The most popular samples are presented in the Semyonov Museum, among them the following types are distinguished.

• Holy Communion Dispensing Spoon - in the old days it was called a "liar", at the end of the handle the Old Believers usually cut out a two-finger.

• Mezheumok - This is the most common medium-sized spoon used at lunchtime, pouring soup and eating porridge with it. By the way, the name of the spoon means “something in between, neither this nor that, not belonging to one species or to any other”. In ancient times, this concept meant not only cutlery, but, in principle, everything "average".

• Butyrka - a long burlach spoon, its name comes from the old Russian "butyrit" - turn over, stir. A spoon of this kind was as wide as the mezheumok, but a little coarser and thicker. This spoon was kept by the barge haulers behind the ribbon of their headdress; it was their peculiar insignia, a "sign".

• Basque (or Basque) spoon - this cutlery had an oblong and blunt-nosed shape, a similar structure had a semi-beveled, slightly more rounded utensil. In translation, the name means "beautiful, decorated".

• Nosy - this is how they designated spoons with pointed noses in Russia. There is an opinion that it is about her that the proverb is composed: "The spoon is narrow, but it carries three pieces, it should be quickly diluted so that it can carry six pieces at a time."

• Folding spoons - these are the most expensive devices of all that were produced in the Nizhny Novgorod province.

The use of tablespoons made of wood is allowed for a wide variety of processes.

• Stirring soups and second hot dishes, as well as gravies, sauces and cereals. Unlike today's popular metal products, these spoons do not heat up, so the risk of getting burned is minimized.
• When cooking some dishes recipes often require the addition of vinegar - it is best to use wood for this, because when the vinegar essence interacts with the metal, the products often get a characteristic unpleasant aftertaste that significantly worsens the finished dish. In some cases, there is also a darkening of the surface of the spoon.
• For kneading yeast dough and some other liquid mixtures such as pancakes, pancakes, pies and casseroles.

In order for wood spoons to serve their owners as long as possible, some operating rules must be followed.

• Immediately after purchase the surface of the cutlery should be treated with a small amount of vegetable oil - with frequent use, this will prevent cracking. You can use any oil - sunflower, linseed, pumpkin or corn, it is advisable to preheat it, blot a napkin and rub it well into a spoon. The device can be used several hours after processing, as the oil must be completely absorbed. It is advisable to repeat the procedure every 10-14 days.
• Wooden spoons should be washed immediately after using them, since it is rather difficult to remove pieces of dried food from the surface of the wood. Clean the spoons with warm water, a weakly concentrated cleaning solution and a regular sponge.
• It is better to store wooden utensils separately, for example, in a glass container or jar, try to avoid contact between wood and metal objects.

For information on how to make wooden spoons with your own hands, see the next video.