Cooling Basket

All along the Pasapa River you can see people hanging baskets down from the bottom of their houses into the river. If you're new to the area this might be confusing at first but it serves a very practical purpose.

The Problem with no Cellars

Since most people in Depavata live in houses built over the river it is not very practical, or even possible, to build cellars to store food in. The hot and humid climate means storing food is also not the most easy thing, even though it is readily available all year round and doesn't need storing for long.
But this is how the cooling baskets were created. Through coating baskets in a special material they manage to make them (mostly) water resistent. Food can then be put in the baskets and they are put into the river, tied to a rope that usually leads up to the kitchen. The cooler river water then keeps the temperature down while at the same time protecting the food against insects.

Manufacturing process

The outer basket is a very regular basket. It is made out of nimble twigs, roots or reed, that are woven into the desired shape and size.
The important part is the inside of the basket. Seaweed and fat from a specific kind of fish found in the river are mashed together until a sticky mass without any clumps. The inside of the basket is then coated with thin bark and the mass is slathered all over it as a sort of glue. The basket is then put out in the sun to dry.

Item type

Storage

Manufacturer

Depavata

Rarity

Super common

Weight

0.5 - 5 kg / 1 - 10 lbs

Dimensions

20 - 100 cm diameter / 8 - 40 inches diameter

Raw materials & Components

Twigs or for the outside of the basket. Processed bark for the inside.

Versions

Sometimes you can also see platforms or boxes underneath houses that serves the same purpose as the baskets but in a larger scale. This is usually under public buildings like taverns, or schools.