In Norwegian the word såpekoker (soap maker, or literally soap cooker) is a dismissive slang for a slothful and inept person. Here’s the definition from Bokmålsordboka:
såpekoker dorsk, udugelig person
This idea is probably rooted in how the traditional way of making soap calls for hours and hours of slow stirring in a pot, and I assume somebody watching a person making soap would assume they weren’t doing much — the action is monotonous and unhurried.
In our times of the fascistoid cult of speed and efficiency, I think it’s crucial to sometimes insist on the opposite of speed and efficiency, to embrace the monotonous and the unhurried. It’s time to slow down and wear the badge of såpekoker with pride.
From now on, if somebody calls me a såpekoker I will say “yes indeed, and thank you very much for the compliment!”
After having tried my hand at making my own soap, I have a new respect for professional soap makers. While the soap I make myself is usually functional, it still often leaves a little something to be desired.
However, as is often the case when I make things, the end result is not of uttermost importance — it is the creative experience and the process of getting there that leaves me realizing that the world is more beautiful, now!
Here’s the list of ingredients for one of my batches of soap:
- 266 g water
- 97.56 g lye
- 50 g avocado butter
- 200 g coconut oil
- 108 g castor oil
- 50 g shea butter
- 2-3 tbs powedered oatmeal
- essential oils to taste
- 1/4 tsp vitamin E oil
That’s a recipe that makes my mouth water!
Bibliography
- Landrø, Marit Ingebjørg et al. Bokmålsordboka : Definisjons- Og Rettskrivningsordbok. 2. utg ed. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget 1993.