Handicrafts of craftsmen always cause admiration and surprise. This also applies to the national Finnish mug of kuksa, certainly made of natural wood. However, today a product with an unusual name for a Russian person can easily be bought not only in Finland, but also in a good Russian souvenir shop. And if you have certain skills in working with wood, sophisticated tools and desire, you can make a box yourself.
Cookware Features
The first question that a person has when he hears the unfamiliar word kuksa: "What is it?" In fact, kuksa is a deep mug or roomy bucket made from a single piece of natural wood. Traditionally, the Finns give Kux to a newborn. Subsequently, this wonderful and comfortable dishware accompanies a person throughout his life, which has a special meaning: kuksa for Finns is a symbol of continuity with its roots.
The sizes of the Finnish cowboys vary from quite small, for example, from children's lace designed for 50-100 ml of liquid to half-liter ladles, tureens and other containers for cold or hot drinks. But in any case, such dishes are lightweight, unbreakable and therefore very convenient for taking them with you on the road or for a walk through the woods.
The shape of the classic kuksa resembles a mug with an ear-notch for fingers. A leather strap is usually attached to the ear, with which the dishes can be hung from the belt. That is why many residents of the northern forests perceive kuksa not only as a convenient vessel for drinking, but also as a necessary attribute of national clothing.
What is a mug made of?
The only possible material for making kuksa is natural wood. Moreover, the Finns usually use suvel or cap of birch. This growth on a branch or trunk of a tree resembles a rounded bowl in shape, which greatly simplifies the manufacture of a mug. Another question: why birch? This is understandable. Firstly, birch wood is finely porous, which means that dishes will absorb less dirt and food debris. Secondly, in kuksa (what it is, described above), the inner surface should be rounded. And soft birch wood easily lends itself to the action of a spoon-cutter - a special tool with the help of which it is “removed” from the future bowl, or rather, the “inside” is hollowed out.
Those people who decide to make a national Finnish mug of kuksa with their own hands will need to remember that drying the semi-finished product - when the cutting is almost finished, and polishing the tree and adjusting the shape is still ahead - should be slow, i.e. long in time and occur at a low temperature. This will avoid cracking the mug during manufacturing and use.
Design features
The uniqueness of any folk art product in its decoration. To give Kuksa attractiveness and additional strength, the outer surface of the finished product is impregnated with oil - linen in the case is ideal - they are decorated with ornament or inlay and even varnished. Another way to make Kuksa unique is to decorate it with an unusual button, for example, in the form of a partridge. Moreover, the button also has practical value: with its help, it is much easier to attach the strap to the belt.
Finns often serve as an additional decoration for Kuksa with a small wooden spoon or horn - they are attached to the strap that holds the mug on the belt.
What is a mug for?
Usually kuksu - what is it, everyone already knows - is used as a container for drinks. Will it be cold spring water or hot coffee - perhaps it doesn’t matter. The only exceptions are alcoholic beverages, since alcohol dries the tree very much. Although a conveniently shaped wooden mug of kuksa can be used, for example, as a tureen or deep plates - this is especially true when fishing, hiking, during “outings”.
How to care for the product?
The cooks made by the masters must be prepared for use. Masters who know a lot about this utensil will be sure to first pour freshly brewed coffee into a new mug and keep it there for a couple of minutes. Then the liquid is drained, for a couple of hours the kuks will be left to dry and, finally, they will “rub” coffee grounds into the inner surface of the bowl. This will contribute to giving the dishes a pleasant dark shade and shine. But the secret is not only this: the oil contained in the coffee grounds in the future will become a kind of protection for the inner walls of the mug.
Any edible oil (although linseed oil is preferred), capable of polymerizing in the near future, is suitable for processing the outer walls. In the future, it will protect the axle box from dirt and make washing easier.
Since the Finnish mug consists entirely of wood, it is not recommended to wash it with detergents. Usually it is enough to rinse the dishes with clean water and let it dry.
By the way, the drinks can acquire a specific aftertaste for the first time. However, this does not at all indicate the poor quality of the mug - soon enough the flavor will disappear. An exception may be the smell and taste of rancid oil, especially when using hot drinks - this will indicate that the inside of the bowl was treated with oil, and even poor quality. And now its particles fall into the liquid.
Advantages of the Finnish mug
Lightweight, comfortable, environmentally friendly, conveying national flavor - all this can be said about the Kuksa wooden mug. What is it for the northern peoples, spending a lot of time in the forest or on the river, it is understandable.
- Kuks can be attached to a belt and always carried with you, without fear that it will break.
- The mug is ideal for drinking cold spring water in the forest or making strong coffee by the river.
- The tree always remains warm, which means there is no need to be afraid that in the extreme cold the edges of the axle box will “freeze” to the lips. And on the contrary, you can safely pick up a kuksa, in which hot tea or coffee is poured - it certainly won’t burn your hands.
Here it is, Finnish kuksa - a wooden mug that can become indispensable in the economy of every person.