Tradition Lives On
This is how it was done in Sahalahti too, where our grandparents smoked meats for the villagers. Although decades have passed, the cornerstones of smoking remain:
“Gentle fire & smoke, low heat, patiently & slowly!”
This heritage has passed from generation to generation, and now we continue the same story in a new way, but with the same values.
Birth of Pytty
Sawu, the offset smoker, nicknamed Pytty, was born as an idea in autumn 2023. After a small plowing job, an old 1.4m² milk tank was received as payment at the workshop. That's where it all started.
During winter 2024, small hands worked in the hall amid sparks and the hum of the welding machine. Welding wire burned, grinding discs wore out, grates were measured, hinges were pondered. Everything we did was new. Will this even work? How will it hold up?
First Results
Then, after a few weeks of machining, something emerged from the tank, but what? We circled around it, wondered at it, and someone even said it was quite handsome!
Self-made, our own style. Just what we wanted. But will it work?
And it did work, even excellently for a prototype. The first smoking was in March 2024, which certainly wasn't the last.
The Name
A problem arose. What to name it? The name must tell something. It must be short and descriptive, not English words like smoked or BBQ, but clear Finnish!
It wasn't a pig but Sawu that came. And with a double W, of course!
But something was still missing. The smoker has a suitable name, but what about everything around it? Finally, surprisingly easily, the word Sahamaa was spoken.
Sahamaa
The name was originally said by a little nephew who had difficulty pronouncing "Sahalahti cousins". Sahamaa, however, came out clearly and loudly for everyone to know!
There it was: SAHAMAAN SAWU.
Sahamaa also strongly refers to the name of the former municipality of Sahalahti, which according to stories got its name from the saw-edged shoreline of Lake Längelmävesi with its bays. The double W also gets its own meaning, emphasizing this saw edge. It's the edge that shows in us too!
The Story Continues
The first smoking was in March 2024, which certainly wasn't the last. Since then, we have smoked hundreds of kilograms of meat at markets, events and private functions.
You'll find us at Pirkanmaa markets and events year-round. Follow us on Facebook to see where we'll be next!
The story continues, and you can be part of it.
