After the TV series "Menghualu" was launched, one of the plots aroused many audience discussions.
That is the tea shop opened by Zhao Paner, because the summer ice industry was monopolized by the rampant and domineering Chi Yanei, and Paner formed a relationship with Chi Yanei, so that the tea shop was closed for a time, which surprised many audiences.
It turns out that ice in summer has been fashionable since ancient times, but in ancient times, there were no refrigerators, how did they make ice?
How to hide ice in ancient times
At the earliest, it was recorded in "Zhou Li": "Ling people, palm ice." There are two months in the tenth year of the year, and the ice is chopped, and the three are Ling. It seems that as early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, people began to consciously store ice cubes in the cellar in winter for use in the hot summer.
"Ling" refers to the ice room and ice cellar, but the early ice storage technology is not complete, so the imperial court set up a special ice administration department, of which the head of the ice administration is called "Ling Ren", and this department is responsible for hiding ice and other things.
At that time, there were many employees in this department, especially in the harsh winter, when it was the best time to hide ice, and these steps were indispensable, such as ice hunting, ice chiseling, ice transportation, ice storage, and guarding.
Ten pieces of ice stored in winter may only be two or three in summer, so there will be a larger amount of ice in winter, not only that, but in order to ensure that the ice can be stored for a longer time, there are specific requirements and standards for the size of the ice cubes.
The stored ice cubes must be more than three feet, which is not only convenient for stacking, but also convenient for long-term storage.
So at that time, ice was very scarce, and the historical records recorded that "ice was divided to confer doctors", which shows that only officials above the doctor have the qualifications to divide ice, and most of those who are related to the emperor are just rewarded by the emperor.
However, the use rate of ice storage is too low, and it is time-consuming and labor-intensive, so people have begun to think about the method of ice making.
How to make ice in ancient times
Probably at the end of the Tang Dynasty, people accidentally discovered that saltpeter meets water into ice, it turns out that saltpeter will absorb a lot of heat after completely dissolving water, causing the temperature of water to drop into ice.
Not only that, after saltpeter dissolves water, saltpeter can also be extracted again by crystallization, which can be reused, which greatly promoted the development of the ice-making market at that time.
This method not only satisfies the use of ice in the north, but also allows the friends in the south to achieve "freedom of ice", which is really beautiful, and the main use of ice in the south is to keep seafood fresh for a long time.
There is also a method of making ice that is quite powerful, it is really the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancients, and a magical magic weapon has been created, that is, Bingjian.
Bingjian is equivalent to our earliest freezer refrigerator, and it is also a bit similar to our current thermos cup or thermos, the shell is wrapped in an inner tank, and the meaning of heat preservation is to keep hot and cool, double effect.
However, unlike the modern thermos, the gap between the shell and the inner tank of the ice is relatively large, mainly used to put ice, and then some melons, fruits or drinks can be placed in the inner tank, and this cold summer food is born.
In addition, if you put it in the room, it is a movable air conditioner, and it doesn't seem to be so difficult to endure in the hot summer, of course, it can only be enjoyed by relatives of the emperor and dignitaries.
In addition, Bing Jian can not only hide ice, but also make ice, which can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty, "Huainan Wanbi Book" records: "Take the boiling soup and put it in the urn, dense with new threads, Shen (well) in three days into ice." ”
Put a small amount of water in Bingjian, about one-tenth of it, seal it tightly, and then boil it with fire, when you feel that Bingjian is going to explode, you will water it decisively, and then sink the cold well for three days, and there will be ice in it when you open it.
But in fact, it is the hot water that creates a high-pressure environment after sealing, and the principle of cold air is similar to the principle of hail in June, and the same is true for ice making later.
Now the experiment can also be restored, use a pressure cooker to fill a small amount of water, the hole of the lid of the pot is plugged or dry to death, and then burn it, wait until the pressure cooker is marked with a red line, water the pressure cooker, and then sink the cold well for about three days, and then open it again is the time to witness the miracle, and there is ice in it.
Of course, this experiment is dangerous, and friends who don't know how to use a pressure cooker should not try it easily, after all, if you want ice, you can just put the water in the refrigerator.
What are the cold drinks to cool off the heat in ancient times
As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a record of making cold drinks, Qu Yuan wrote in "Chu Ci and Summoning Spirits": "Frustrate cold drinks, drink cooler." ”
In "Menghualu", the cold drink at that time was no longer the exclusive property of the imperial power, but entered thousands of households, and the cold drink launched by the teahouse of the three Zhao Paner sisters was deeply loved by people, not only to maintain the old customers, but also to many people to come.
Not only cold drinks, Chinese has always been a lack of exploration and innovation for eating since ancient times, and it has long been recorded in "Tokyo Menghualu": "Zhouqiao Night Market...... Hemp drink fine powder, vegetarian sand sugar, ice and snow cold yuanzi, crystal soap, raw flooded papaya, medicine not gourd, chicken head sand sugar, mung bean, licorice ice and snow cold water, lychee paste...... Until the third watch. ”
From the beginning of the use of ice by the common people, it can also be seen that the economic prosperity of the Song Dynasty can also be seen, the lifting of the curfew has gradually enriched people's nightlife, and the common people can also taste cheap cold drinks on the streets.
Otherwise, how could there be that sentence: Tokyo is really charming and charming, especially here, Tokyo here refers to Kaifeng, and "Qingming Riverside Map" depicts the bustling of the market at that time.
In particular, the licorice ice and snow cold water and lychee paste look very delicious to cool off, so I drooled so much delicious, I really wish I could dream of going back to Tokyo and have a good taste at the market.
epilogue
Nowadays, in our daily life, eating ice is a commonplace, ice cubes in coffee and cola, ice cream in the freezer, and ice packs for preservation or cooling, it can be said that our lives are inseparable from ice.
Of course, all this is inseparable from the wisdom of the ancient working people, not only the technology of hiding ice and making ice, but more importantly, the inheritance of food, there are many netizens who have returned from studying abroad and jokingly said: We Chinese should really worship when eating.