Snow cones are a variation of shaved ice or ground-up ice desserts commonly served throughout
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| Snow cone with cherry syrup |
North America in paper cones or foam cups. The dessert consists of ice shavings that are topped with flavored sugar syrup.
Depending on the region of North America, the terms "snowball" and "snow cone" may refer to different things. Where the distinction is made, the former refers to a dessert made of finely shaved ice ("like soft fresh snow"), while the latter contains ground-up ice that is coarser and more granular ("crunchy").
In the 1850s, the American Industrial Revolution made ice commercially available. Ice houses in New York would commonly sell ice to places like Florida. To transport the ice to Florida, the ice houses would send a wagon with a huge block of ice south. The route to Florida would pass right through Baltimore where children would run up to the wagon and ask for a small scraping of ice. Before long, mothers started to make flavoring in anticipation of their children receiving some ice. The first flavor the women made is still a Baltimore favorite: egg custard. Egg custard was an easy flavor to make as the only ingredients were eggs, vanilla, and sugar.
By the 1870s, the snowball's popularity had risen to the degree that in the warm summer months, theaters would sell snowballs to keep their patrons cool. Because of this association with the theater, snowballs were thought of as an upper-class commodity. Signs in theaters instructing patrons to finish their snowballs before coming in to the second act are the earliest tangible evidence of snowballs. In the theaters in Baltimore during the time hand shavers were used to shave the ice. Around the city, snowballs were served on newspaper, but in the classy theaters, butchers' boats were used. In the 1890s, many people started to invent easier ways to make snowballs. In that decade, patents for electric ice shavers were filed.
During the Great Depression and World War II, snowballs became available outside of Baltimore. As
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| Snow cone vending truck in Arizona |
snowballs were so cheap, they were one of the few treats that people could afford. This inexpensiveness earned snowballs the nicknames Hard Times Sundae and Penny Sunday. People in need of a job could sell snowballs, as it required little overhead. The treat became more popular during World War II, when all available ice cream was sent to soldiers, creating a need for an icy treat. This newfound lack of competition helped snowballs became popular across the country.
In Hawaii, "shave ice" is similar to snowballs, and is sold in cone-shaped paper cups. "Rainbow," a popular flavor, consists of three colors of syrup chosen usually for their color rather than their taste compatibility. Commonly, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened azuki beans is first added to the bottom of the cup and is capped with condensed milk.
Vendors in Texas and northern Mexico serve finely shaved ice desserts. Called a raspa, they are
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| Snowball |
usually sold from a roadside stand or trailer. They come in many flavors, including leche (milk and cinnamon) and picosito (the Spanish word for 'spicy' made with lemon and chili powder.)
The dessert ais kacang served in Malaysia and Singapore is another form of shaved ice. Ais kacang was originally served with red beans but now includes various fruits and other sweet toppings.
In Japan they are known as kakigori, and in India it is called a "gola" and usually served on Popsicle sticks.
In Britain the term snow cone has been used for a standard ice cream cone topped with (usually vanilla) ice cream, hence the term snow cone. (This is a slightly archaic term however.)
In Perú this dessert is called Raspadilla, which is served in cups along with a spoon and/or a straw. It consists in ground ice which is thick and topped with juices of different flavors that can be combined, regularly the most common flavors are pineapple and strawberry juices but it can also be served with berries juice, passion fruit juice (maracuya), chicha morada (purple corn juice), and in some cases but uncommon it can be topped with condensed milk or yogurt. Its very popular in the beaches during summertime, but it also is consumed in the towns and the cities as well. It is sold in carts spreaded around some streets and avenues of the city, being prepared at the moment (some of them grind the ice in a block with a device or some spoon with a blade like razor in one end, others yet have the ice already ground stored in a cooler box) but all of them serve the portion of ice in the cup in front of the customer and then ask which flavor of juice would be poured on top of the ice, then they put a spoon and the straw.
Kala Khatta is a syrup made from the jambul fruit in India and some other parts of South Asia. It is primarily used as a flavoring for Indian ice lollipops or Popsicles, sold as street food. Crushed ice is formed into a lump by hand and mounted on a stick to make the lollipop. Kala khatta syrup and seasonings such as salt and pepper are then poured on the lollipop.
