Wooden dishes: origin, types, operation and care

Wood is one of the first materials that humans have mastered. It is easy to process, versatile and looks beautiful, so it is not surprising that the first dishes were made from it.

Most of the kitchen utensils and not only were made from wood in Ancient Russia. As archaeological finds have shown, already in the 8th century, wooden dishes were a great success. The most expensive specimens had decorative carvings on the outside.

Hardwoods were used as a basis, since this material has the necessary properties. There were several manufacturing methods. The utensils were presented in several types:

• chiseled;
• dugout;
• cut;
• cooper;
• from rivets;
• collected by hoops.

Chiseled utensils became more widespread; these were not only mugs, but also plates, spoons, mortars and much more. The farm used wooden basins, tubs. Craftsmen kept their secrets and passed them on from generation to generation.

Spoons were presented in a wide variety, they differed in shape, since one was used for salad, another for soup, and the third separately for mustard or dessert.

Today, this type of tableware is no longer very popular and is more a decorative item in the kitchen. However, sugar bowls, bread bins, mashed potatoes and cutting boards are indispensable tools for modern housewives.

Long before the first silver fork was invented, people were feasting on primitive wooden cutlery. The durability of silver tablespoons and forks, as well as the easy disposal of plastic utensils, eventually pushed wood products aside.

A number of factors can be distinguished from the advantages.

• Wood is a natural material.
• Wood is a renewable resource. For example, bamboo products are very environmentally friendly, however, the plant itself quickly fills the cut area.
• Compared to the oil-based, non-degradable plastic appliances that flood the world's landfills, wood is safe for humans.
• These products can be made from any type of hardwood, including birch and maple.
• Recycling wooden cutlery is helping to solve the growing problem of recycling plastics and other non-degradable and hazardous materials already abundant in the soil.
• Wood cutlery can be very beautiful and expensive when painted.

Despite such a number of advantages, wooden products also have their disadvantages.

• Wood is absorbent, a porous material that absorbs moisture, making it a wonderful breeding ground for bacteria. For this reason, wooden cutlery is unhygienic and unsuitable for long-term use.
• Cookware made from certain types of wood, such as cedar or cypress, can spoil the taste of food with its strong smell and resin.
• Wooden cutlery made from by-products, imported or recycled wood may be exposed to chemicals during the manufacturing process.
• Most of these cutlery are carefully polished for safe use. When the material dries, cracks can form on its surface, respectively, small chips appear, which are stuck into the oral cavity.
• Such products are short-lived, and if used and stored incorrectly, they can last only a few months.

A painted set of kitchen utensils made of wood with a Khokhloma painting on both sides is a real work of art. Such a product can only play a decorative role and not be used. You can't think of a better addition to organize an unusual kitchen interior, since such utensils add color.

While looking for something unusual on the market, you can see wood products in a wide variety. Here are the dishes from the following manufacturers:

• Russian;
• Finnish;
• Chinese;
• Japanese.

Each presented species has its own characteristics. For example, Japanese is perfect for sushi. It is radically different from the Finnish and Russian form, design, saw cut.

Sometimes plates and spoons are made from olive wood, more often from other hardwoods. The cost of such products also depends on the quality of wood. Carved, on which there is a painting, is not cheap and is suitable exclusively as a gift set. The more complicated the carving, the more expensive such a gift is. Antique tableware is sold on certain platforms.

Separately, it is necessary to mention the types of wooden utensils that were used in Russia. It is difficult to list everything, but you can dwell on those that were most often used on the farm.

• Tub. This container was necessary for storing wine and honey, sometimes water was transferred in it, they were allowed to drink. Trunks of trees such as birch and aspen served as the main material for production.The ushat had a cylindrical shape, on top it had small "ears", hence the name.

• Stavets. A kind of plate with a lid and a flat bottom. It was used not for serving dishes, but for storing bread and other kitchen utensils.

• Brother. Such a jug could often be found on the table, since it was served to guests along with a drink. There were always mugs and plates of snacks around him.

• Spoons. The products we were used to were very different from those that were made at the very beginning. After archaeological excavations in the Urals, specimens of a very unusual shape were found. The ancient dishes were distinguished by their decorative beauty, they were made in the form of birds and animals. Historians call many types of spoons, which differed in shape from each other, there were fishing spoons, half-bevel spoons, and rubbing.

• Buckets. There were also several types of them. The name was taken from the place where the item was made. For example, Moscow and Tver buckets were popular, there were also Kostroma, Volgograd and others. Most often, you could find ladles on the festive table, since food was served in them. Moscow products differed from all other materials, since they were made from burl. From the side, such dishes looked very much like a boat with a flat bottom and a pointed nose. The strength of such a product could only be envied, the thickness of the walls reached 0.8 cm. The Tver buckets, which were made from the root, differed from the Moscow ones. Such utensils were low, long and had an ornament in the form of a horse's head at the end. The craftsmen did not skimp on the design of the carving.

• Plates. They are also presented in a wide variety. There were deep and shallow, big and small. When the princes considered that serving them on the table in the dishes with which the commoners also eat was a manifestation of disrespect, wooden utensils were replaced by silver and gold items.

When choosing a quality product, you should rely on the advice of professionals, because there are many models on the shelves in stores, and not all of them meet the requirements for safety and durability.

• If you buy such an item for the kitchen, it is better if it is made on the territory of our country. These products are tested for quality and environmental friendliness.
• It is imperative to inspect the dishes well so that the impregnation is applied evenly. If the model is varnished, then it is not suitable for use during cooking.
• There should be no deformation on the surface, since when moisture gets there, the tree will crack.
• The best dishes are considered to be those made from juniper and alder, and cedar and aspen are also suitable.

Often, wooden products are purchased for restaurants, as they are suitable for serving unusually decorated tables. In order for such dishes to serve for a long time, you need to know and follow the rules for their use.

You can put wooden plates in the microwave, the main thing is not to cook in them, but only to warm up food. Since the material absorbs moisture and is able to expand or dry out over time, such utensils lose their attractiveness over the years.

For this reason, such products must be impregnated with a special oily solution, which closes the pores and prevents moisture from penetrating inside.

If you take care of wood products properly, then they will last a long time.

• The unpleasant odor that the wood absorbs can be easily eliminated. To do this, once a month, you need to wipe the spoons and plates with gauze or vinegar soaked in alcohol.
• Tannins in wood are easily eliminated by soaking the utensils in plain water for several hours.
• You can level the surface of the cutting board with simple sandpaper.
• Rubbing with onion peel decoction or hydrogen peroxide can increase the service life of wooden utensils.
• After using the plate, spoons must be rinsed and wiped dry immediately.
• Such utensils are stored in a well-ventilated cabinet, where there is no high humidity.

For information on how to make a pine plate, see the next video.