Todays trivia: By 400 BCE, Persian engineers had mastered the technique of storing ice in the middle of summer in the desert. The yakhchal (Persian for ice pit) above ground had a domed shape, but had a subterranean storage space of up to 180,000 cu ft and was used to store ice and food. The ice could be brought in during the winters from nearby mountains, but could also be made by channeling water to the north side of the wall. The shadow of the wall made the water freeze more quickly so more ice was produced per winter day. The underground space had thick walls made out of a special mortar called sārooj that was composed of sand, clay, egg whites, lime, goat hair, and ash in specific proportions, and which was resistant to heat transfer and completely water impenetrable. The space also contained a system of windcatchers that could easily bring temperatures inside the space down to frigid levels in summer days using large wind catching towers that would trap the cold air and automatically direct it back into the large pits. The ice was then used to chill treats for royalty during hot summer days and to make faloodeh, the traditional Persian frozen dessert.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Apr 2014 10:59:23 +0000
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