Historical Refrigeration Practices

Refrigeration has ancient roots, with historical practices dating back to ancient civilizations. People discovered that cold temperatures could preserve food, leading to methods such as storing ice and cooling drinks. In places like China, saltpeter was used to absorb heat and create artificial cooling baths for jars of food or beverages. The development of techniques for cooling by evaporation, which can require simple tools like damp towels or buried containers, illustrates how humanity has long sought effective ways to keep products fresh.