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●—≺ Previous ≻—●
Refrigerators and air conditioners are very common in modern families and are already a necessity for every household, but in ancient times, refrigerators were out-and-out "luxuries".
The common people were not allowed to use it at all, and if they wanted to use a block of ice, they had to be given by the emperor.
What did an ancient refrigerator look like, and why not let ordinary people use it?
The ancients didn't have refrigerators, so how could they store food?
●—≺ In ancient times, there were also "refrigerators" ≻—●
More than 2,000 years ago, the prototype of refrigerators appeared in China.
Although it has no electricity and no refrigeration, it does a lot of things that modern refrigerators can do, and it is Bingjian.
Bingjian first appeared in the Warring States period, and was first discovered in modern times, and it is necessary to mention the tomb found in Suizhou, Hubei Province in 1978.
Archaeologists found a pair of bronze ice knicks in the tomb, and their appearance opened a new horizon for modern people.
The bronze ice is a double-layered utensil, with the upper layer as the jian, the lower layer as the venerable, and a hole in the middle.
In the summer, people place ice cubes between the canteens, and the wine and food are filled inside, and through the cooling effect of the ice cubes, the canons can keep the wine and food at a cool temperature, providing a cold enjoyment.
In winter, a similar principle can be used to heat water to keep it warm, so that you can enjoy the right temperature stimulation throughout the year.
Maybe many people have never seen such a "refrigerator", but in the modern screen, it does appear in a high-profile manner.
In 2008, Zhang Yimou presided over the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, which included a large-scale program in which a group of people formed a formation and struck according to the beat of the drum.
Many people were shocked by this show and only cared about watching the performance, but few people knew that the prototype of the props in the array was "Zeng Hou Yi Bronze Jianyi".
The role of Zeng Hou Yi Bronze Jian in ancient times was actually a "refrigerator".
In costume dramas, the dormitory of the harem will always put a hollow bronze vessel in the center, and a special palace maid will collect ice cubes and put it in, so as to achieve the effect of cooling the room.
According to the archaeological findings of bronze ice and ancient methods of preserving food, we can see the wisdom and skills of the ancient Chinese for temperature control and food preservation.
Although they did not have the support of modern technology at the time, they were able to create devices similar to modern refrigerators and take a series of ways to keep food longer.
Not only the bronze ice jian, but the ancients also had a series of methods to keep food fresh, and ice cellars are one of the common methods.
People collect ice cubes in the winter and store them in special ice cellars.
These cellars are usually located close to water sources for easy ice collection and are structured to isolate the outside from temperature changes.
Wooden planks, on the other hand, are used to cover the ice, providing a layer of insulation and extending the life of the ice.
This method of preserving food provides an original but effective way to maximize the freshness of the ice cubes.
During the Song Dynasty, the ancients also created ice wells to store ice cubes and introduced various ice products such as candy, fruits, and ice cube mixtures.
These ice products have become the most popular food to relieve the heat in summer, providing people with a way to beat the heat.
In order to meet people's demand for ice cubes, the Zhou Dynasty set up a special profession called "Ling Ren", which specialized in collecting ice cubes.
According to the records in the "Zhou Li", the Ling people began to cut the ice in December every year and stored the ice.
These ice cubes are used for formal occasions such as sacrificial ceremonies and banquets.
In ancient times, if anyone could get a piece of ice, it was a symbol of honor and status, indicating that he was valued by the emperor.
With ice, another question arises, in ancient times, could ice only cool down?
●—≺ 唐朝就有冰激凌 ≻—●
As early as the Tang Dynasty, China's ice food culture was in full swing.
Despite the scarcity of ice, the Tang Dynasty's pursuit of cold drinks and innovative spirit still allowed them to enjoy the fun of cool summer.
In the early days, people could only wait until winter to pick up ice cubes in nature, but later the imperial power mastered the mining of ice, and it was difficult for ordinary people to get ice cubes, so they could only rely on rewards.
By the end of the Tang Dynasty, the ancients had inadvertently learned the technique of making ice, and they could make ice even in summer.
In summer, the weather is hot, although Bingjian can keep warm and cold, but it can't create ice, what did the ancients do?
It turned out that in the last years of the Tang Dynasty, when producing gunpowder, a lot of saltpeter was inadvertently mined, and the ancients found that saltpeter absorbs heat, which can quickly cool down the water and freeze.
Since then, people have been using ice regardless of the season, and ice products have become more and more available.
On the streets of the Tang Dynasty, ice cream has already appeared, and many people think that this is not true, but in fact, this is indeed recorded in historical records.
The social environment of the Tang Dynasty was prosperous, and foreign exchanges were also very frequent, and many foreign ideas and commodities entered the Tang Dynasty, including the emergence of ice cream.
Ice cream had another name in ancient times - "Crisp Mountain", as the predecessor of ice cream, Crisp Mountain was popular among the court and nobility of the Tang Dynasty.
Sushan is a dessert made of ice cubes, covered with rich cream or ghee and decorated with flowers and coloured trees.
However, due to the scarcity of ice in the early Tang Dynasty, Sushan was still only popular among the rich and nobles, and was not widespread among ordinary people.
This makes ordinary people can only envy the happiness and enjoyment of the wealthy class, and cannot taste the coolness of summer ice drinks.
In addition to Sushan, a drink called "Yinzi" also emerged during the Sui and Tang dynasties, which can be said to have ushered in a new era of cold drinks in China.
These drinks are mainly made from various fruits and herbs, some of which are similar to today's health drinks, which not only quench thirst, but also have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying.
Because of its rich taste and health care effects, it became a favorite of consumers in the Sui and Tang dynasties.
At that time, there were "drink shops" everywhere on the streets of Chang'an, just like the street bubble tea shops are prosperous now.
In the process of continuous exploration and innovation, the ice food culture of the Tang Dynasty continued to advance, and the street ice industry appeared for the first time as a means of livelihood.
These ice sellers often carry loads full of ice cubes and weave from crowd to crowd on hot days, hoping to make a profit.
However, not all vendors know how to do business.
Some merchants can't sell it, and they refuse to sell it cheaply, so they can only melt it in their own hands in the end.
Some merchants have been raising prices in order to make money, and customers can't buy ice at the right price, so they can only go home.
With the stable supply of ancient ice cubes and the continuous growth of market demand, the people's love for cold drinks in the Tang Dynasty gradually spread from the rich class to the common class, creating a unique and splendid era of cold drinks.
This phenomenon not only reflects the economic prosperity and pursuit of luxury goods in the Tang Dynasty at that time, but also reflects the unremitting pursuit of a better life and the inheritance of innovative thinking of ancient Chinese people.
●—≺ Conclusion ≻—●
The historical development of the refrigerator is closely related to social changes, it is not only a simple practical tool, but also a manifestation of social hierarchy.
The existence of the refrigerator, a symbol of wealth and power, was enjoyed only by the aristocracy and the wealthy in ancient times.
Because of this, many people can come up with all kinds of tips for storing food.
These storage techniques were adapted to local conditions and made the best use of various resources, making ancient storage techniques complex and effective.
The development process of refrigerators is not only a technological evolution process, but also a microcosm of social structure and human environment.
So with the continuous change of technology and society, how will the role of the refrigerator evolve in the future?