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A Snow cone is a dessert item usually made of compacted shaved ice flavored with a brightly colored sugary syrup, usually fruit-flavored. Variations include the "stuffed" snow cone, with a layer of soft-serve vanilla ice cream inside. Some are served with a spoon, some are meant to be eaten with the hands like an ice cream cone. The popularity of these beverages remain concentrated heavily in cities such as Baltimore, New Orleans, and Houston.
History
In 1934, inventor Ernest Hansen patented the first known "Ice block shaver" in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was inspired to create a more refined and hygenic version of the popular "Italian Ice" sold from push-carts in the city. His wife Mary created many flavors of fresh syrups to flavor his finely shaved artificial "snow". "Snow balls" have been popular in New Orleans ever since. Hansen continued work at the original Hansen's Sno-Bliz in Uptown New Orleans on Tchoupitoulas Street through 2005, although his granddaughter has taken over much of the workload. Mr. Hansen and his wife died in late 2005, shortly after hurricane Katrina.
Eventually, "Snow balls" became known as "sno-cones", and their popularity grew worldwide.
Usually, the snow cones are sold at stadiums, coliseums, Ice cream vans or by car peddlers at parks.
Snow cones are crushed either by hand or with specialized, ice-crushing machines.
Names and variations
In the United States, snow cones are produced mostly as a ball-shaped treat. In Puerto Rico, they are named "piragua", because they are made in pyramid shapes and "agua" means water in Spanish; hence the name "pir-agua". Most Puerto Rican snow cone vendors are street snow cone car peddlers. In Hawaii, snow cones are called "shave ice" (on Maui "ice shave") and are sold in cone-shaped paper cups. "Rainbow," a popular flavor, consists of three different colors of syrup chosen usually for their color rather than their intercompatability.
In Mexico, snow cones are named "raspado", because the word raspar means "scratch", hence the name "raspado", as in "scratched ice".
Snow cones are sometimes confused with "Italian ices" or "water ices", but water ice purists distinguish between the two: snow cones are generally flavored after production, at the point of sale, whereas water ices are flavored as the ice is made.
Flavors
Here is a list of some popular snow cone flavors;
- Banana
- Bloodorange
- Blueberry
- Blue Hawaiian
- Butterscotch
- Bubble Gum
- Cherry
- Chocolate
- Coconut
- Cotton Candy
- Cream Soda
- Egg Custard
- Fireball
- Grape
- Ice Cream
- Lemon
- Orange
- Peppermint
- Pineapple
- Skylite
- Strawberry
- Tutti Frutti
- Watermelon
Popular Mixes
- Rainbow
- Batman
- Ghostbusters
- Smurf
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Ice Cream in the middle
- Condensed milk on top
- Chocolate syrup on top
- Marshmallow on top
Difference
Most of the time a snow cone(or sno-cone) means more of a crunchy ice when the flavoring sinks to the bottom. A snow ball means the ice is more fluffy and the flavoring kind of soaks in. Furthermore, in most cases sno-cones are made in advance. Snow balls are made in front of the person waiting.
External links
Desserts
"Snow cone"