| As one of the most primitive kitchen appliances, the wooden churn has been widely used by women to extract butter from milk. The usage of this device dates back long before the 2nd century BC. Moreover, the wooden churn made in various shapes and sizes, was the only means of producing butter until the 18th century, when a wooden device which could perferm a semi-automatic process through the rotation of a handle was invented in Europe. None the less, the traditional shape of the wooden churn continues to be used in stables and in remote mountain areas – including the Albanian Alps. The whole process is completely unindustrialized and the milk shaking is done manually. It is thought that the fatigue caused to the housewives by this whole process has given the name (used in Albanian language) to the tool. Basically, the meaning is to numb (the arm). |
