The International Snow Cone

Interesting history of Snow Cones!

Yummmm!

Fun article. All of these are making me crave the beloved Kaki Gori (sp?) in Epcot at Disney World. Those would instantly cool me on a hot day. And I am not kidding when I say that I miss my Snoopy Snow Cone maker...a childhood staple for me.

I want to try a Baltimore snowball with marshmallow topping! That sounds yummy!

Lovely article. It's so interesting to see all the different variations of the snow cone! I definitely want a respado now! :)

Lemon-lime... the best flavor ever for sno cones!

I remember getting snow-cones as a little girl with my little brother all by ourselves at the park down the street. Then, later as a teenager with my friends. We would always giggle at the snow cone guy, because he was cute, and because he hand-cranked the machine--so one arm was bigger then the other. I loved vanilla and grapefruit.

I love snow cones!

I love Caki gori!!

Being born and raised in Baltimore, I have to agree that a snowball should have the consistency of SNOW. If the ice doesn't absorb the liquid, it doesn't count. And most people I've met only sneer about the marshmallow until they try it!! One of the best things about summer, definitely. When I was old enough to realize that they don't make them like this everywhere, it completely blew my mind.. I just couldn't imagine going through summer without snowballs (& Baltimore-style ones at that!)

Hawaiian shave ice, YUM! I love the tropical flavours and the ice cream centre really makes the difference. I think we had one almost everyday on our holiday. I can't seem to get a decent snow cone in Canada.

The size of those snow cones would make any kid happy! I always remember that being my treat of choice whenever my friends and I chased down the ice cream truck.

We have a snow cone stand close to our house. I love biting into the juicy ice! I remember, as a kid, starting out eating the ice on top and eventually sucking the juice from the soggy bottom. Yum!

Looks so yummy!!!

I love shaved ice, especially the watermelon type! In the UK you get a cocktail called a snowball but it doesnt actually have any ice in it...

I like making popsicles with real fruit bits, strawberries, peach, blueberries, YUM!

In Hawaii, it is called shave ice, not shaved ice (even though, yes, the ice is shaved). And it is most awesome with macadamia nut ice cream!

Singapore has Ice Kachang. Shaved ice with several floral flavoured syrups, sweetened condensed milk, red beans, sweet corn, adapche (sp?), longans, rambutans, and lychees. So sedap (delicious in Malay).

We have them here in Austria! Snow cones are everywhere!

mmm love the international appeal of snow cones! In Taiwan, they serve a shaved ice dish (so not really a cone) but it comes topped with fresh mango, mmm!

Sounds great right now!!

Oh I had some am-a-zing coconut and passion fruit in Chicago last week! All thanks to meeting up with a fellow Etsian!

In Austin, we have a snowball flavor called Tiger's Blood - scary gooooood ^___________^ , & it leaves your mouth blood red afterwards! Rarrr!

So cool to hear the history-- I never knew that before! I'd never even thought about the difference between a snowball and a slushie before... huh! I love mine with mashmallow topping, personally :) thanks for sharing this cool history!

interesting, i learned some new things about snowcones and snowballs.

So cool I'm cravin one now!

wow, i have never heard of all those other kinds! some sound interesting, but egg custard sound too weird for me! i like the early prices though! great post!!!

Cool! Interesting article!

I'm in love with "Tropical Sno" brand shaved ice. I love that they have so many flavors and combinations and the ice is shaved so then that you don't have big chunks that are just ice with no flavor. Yum!

Wow - I never realized there was such a tradition behind the sno-cone. Here in Seattle, the only son-cones I was exposed to were pellet-like ice, soaked in painfully saccharine corn syrup with food coloring that would stain your mouth for days. I may have had one once, but the sugar content was too extreme and I didn't like the crunchy ice in my teeth. I like the sound of the New Orleans style "velvety smooth" shaved ice. Maybe with fresh fruit syrup instead of corn syrup though?

Love this article! Snow cones rock!!!

Make mine a strawberry!

Yummy. I had one of those little Snow Cone machines when I was little and loved making snow cones for my cousins! My mother would make syrups out of kool-aid packets. Too much sugar? Probably. Lots of fun? Definitely! Thank you, Mommy!! As I got older, there was a place I loved in Quincy Market in Boston that made blue vanilla ice cones. Heaven in bright blue.

viva la snow cones !!

kakigori - reminded me of the japanese section at Epcot center in Disney world! I love it - deeeelish!

I just tried Korean snow ice for the first time yesterday. It was huge and drizzled with condensed milk, coffee, mochi balls and fresh banana. I also had a dream about snow last night too. Funny you mention this, kind of feels like Deja vu.

We have the snowball here in New Orleans, I didn't realize it originated in Baltimore. having been raised in the mid-west with snow cones and now having snowballs...can I say there is no comparison. Snowballs are far superior! and the flavors are endless.

I grew up in Jersey. I'll take real Italian ices over any of those other treats any day. Lemon!

My favorite treat!

Mmm! Mine is the fudgecicle because I'm a chocoholic. :-)

I once had a Italian chocolate gelato that was so dark and so intense that anything I've had since just pales in comparison. I've made my own with varying success but my suspicion is that no one does it like the Venetians.

what a sweet treat, i'll have to stick to slushies in the blender though, ice, kool-aide mix, 1/2 c. sugar, and water...blend to perfection.

Let's not forget halo-halo, the Filipino snow cones on steroids! Yum!

I grew up in the Midwest, and we had the plain ol' red white and blue snow cones that came in the paper cone. Once you sucked all the sugary juice out, the ice was hard as a rock. It took skill and practice to eat them properly! When the carnival came each year, the snow cone truck came along... and those were looser and more liquidy and you could choose your flavor... I ALWAYS got cherry! Thanks for the fun article :D xoxo, Whimsical Road

I'm from Baltimore and there is no other way to eat a snowball than with marshmallow! It's the best thing ever on a hot day! It's easy to make yourself, just mix marshmallow fluff with corn syrup and thin it out and put it on top of shaved ice.

I had no idea these were so popular! They look delish

Water ice here in NJ. Yum!

Jerry's Snow Cones peach sour snow cone in Memphis, Tn - THE BEST!!

I know it as schaafijs (shave ice). And always thought it originated in countries like Indonisia, British West India, Suriname, Venezuala and Brasil. The sellers shave the ice from a huge block on the stand and add syrups to it with flavors like cola, cocos, orgeade (almond), tamarinde, markoezal or maracuja (passion fruit) and pineapple. We still had some colonies in the last century and people from those countries came over to live with us. Bringing the shaafijs with them. So I am familiar with it all my life. But as kids we preferred the Italian ice.

Ohhhh we had the little Snoopy Sno Cone machine too! And it was so much fun. I bet now that I'm grown up I'd probably find the syrup just a tad too sweet, but I'd make them again in a heart beat, for the nostolgia, if nothing else. :)

Lived in Bmore for 15 years. MARSHMALLOW please!!!

I loved Deleware Lemon Ice downtown. Sold out of little wood shacks. YUM. Now, I like to order a Cherry Blended Only DON'T BLEND IT. That way it is cherry icie on the outside with a nice vanilla ice cream center. Try it ;)

from Sonic

Grape is favorite

Mmmm. Marshmallow on a snowball! My favorite is a little snow cone shack we have here called The Snowflake Factory. The ice is shaved, not chunky (not that I don't love a good chunky snow cone or slush!) and you can get it with "cream" syrup, which is similar to what artzfolk described above, but with any flavor! They have fun combinations like "Mermaid" and "Elmo," but one of my very favorites is raspberry with cream. The cream syrup changes the texture of the ice a bit, so you have a crunchier outer layer, and a creamy middle. Also, orange with cream tastes like a Dreamsicle, and rootbeer with cream a rootbeer float! :)

Oh !! I like it.

Hmm, how odd...I've never had this kind of treat, it doesn't sound like something I would enjoy but it's interesting to read about the regional differences in flavour/texture.

Here in VT we have sugar on snow in March and April, which is maple syrup boiled down to soft ball candy stage and drizzled over snow where it hardens, and the hardcore folks eat the snow afterward. Usually served with a pickle. But outside of Boston where I grew up, nothing beat the first hot day of the year when mom hauled the Snoopy snow cone maker out of the basement, washed it off, and filled it with ice cubes. I'd spend an hour shaving ice cubes down to snow and then pouring way too much Hi-C over top. My mouth, hands, and clothes were always stained bright red and it was worth every syrupy drop!

Here in Detroit we have the usual ice cream truck AND the super fancy Snow Cone truck that drives around playing techno and just makes snow cones. I ran a stand when I was a kid with my Snoopy Snow Cone Machine. I just bought a Jelly Belly version for my daughter so we can make our own healthier syrups and make our own snow cones.

we have the bahama shack here in lynchburg. That snow cone in the pictures looks so so yummy!

I lived in Tokyo during a very warm summer. When I saw snow cones there, I was so excited -- I didn't know they had snow cones there! I buried my face in one ... and promptly reared back. I don't know what flavor it was, but it was NOT the super-sweet cone I was expecting. It was quite bitter. Japanese treats can be a tease sometimes.

<3

Sweet memories. Yum.

Check here for info on history and regional differences: http://www.epopcorn.com/hiofsnco.html

Snow cones are the best!! Thanks for the fun article :)

When I came to America and saw this type of ice for the first time I was VERY confused. In Germany, where I was born and grew up, this would be something we'd put into summer drinks to keep them cool - but we certainly don't eat this kind of ice there 'raw' ;) Very confusing treat for someone like me - but it sure seems to be popular around here!

Oh, sno cones! I love them so much. Haven't been able to have any since I moved to Columbus, Ohio, 2 years ago...anyone reading this know where I can find a sno cone in Ohio!? :(

Also, I have a lot of family in Louisiana, and the "sno balls" there have ice cream in them.

In japan, the ones with cream and sweet red beans, I have no idea what the flavor was, but it hit the spot with all the humidity!

In NH in the winter, we would grab a bowl of fresh snow & drizzle maple syrup over it. The syryp would sort of freeze, making a crunchy treat tasting of maple & the fresh air.

Mmm that snow cone from Japan mentioned by Karen actually sounds kind of yummy! Great read even though it left me with a crazy snow cone craving. ^ . ^

The summer after I graduated high school I was lucky enough to land my dream job, at the Hawaiian Shaved Ice hut (the ones that looked like giant snow cones). There was no running water, and I had to run to the movie rental place next door to use the bath room but I got all the free shaved ice I wanted as long as I brought my own cup! I tried all the flavors and combinations! My favorites were tigers blood (strawberry and coconut) and a half and half of coconut and cinnamon (cinnamon shave ice is amazing!). One time a guy almost hit the hut and I got a $20 tip! On my last day at the hut I made a snow cone with every flavor all 50. It was a bad idea. yuck. Best job ever!

Love the article but I do have to make a small change, it isn't spelled "piroguas" but "piraguas". having been raised on the streets of Puerto Rico its the one constant sound you hear every summer!! especially in Old San Juan. My favorite flavor was "Crema" or cream (but not the kind you see in the states) and we actually had an ice shaving machine at home so we could have piraguas any day!

My first "real" job was working a sno cone hut in New Mexico. I was so afraid that the huge chunk of ice would come off the machine while it was running and hit me in the gut! (It did happen a few times!) The local favorite flavor was dill pickle juice...I still crave that.

Piraguas are the best - guayaba, coco, and tamarind are my favorite flavors to mix and match. I once smuggled back three bottles of the real syrup so I could enjoy them here for a summer!

Do they still have a gumball at the bottom? That was always my favorite part as a kid. I bought one for my daughter when we watched the fireworks on the fourth, but I forgot to check.

Absolutely nothing beats a real New Orleans snoball...Plum Street, Pandora, Hansen's. Luckily Imperial Sno is open in Manhattan, so I'm not feeling deprived.

I love, love snowcones, and they are so great in other places as well I am guessing, since I haven't ever had any. I love it.

I love granitas- ice crystals with fresh herbs and fruit juices!

Finally broke down and tried raspados here in Tucson. Extra fun trying to use my high school/college Spanish skills to make the order. Definitely interesting (and unique)-- but I still love my shaved ice snow cones.

Ahhh.. the snow cone! The treat that lies somewhere between totally juvenile, and also OK to mix with vodka! I cant' wait for the brain freeze to set in!

my mother in law makes an awesome snow cone with peach schannps!

They look yummy! I don't think I've ever seen them here in UK.

I have very happy memories of sitting in Osaka, on an exceptionally hot late-summer afternoon, and having some shaved ice. Brain freeze aside, it was a great way to cool off. I don't think we have them in the UK though - the closest we've got is slushies :(

I'm with Shadow above, not something I've ever seen in the UK. They look perfect for a hot summer day, (which are few and far between this summer it seems!) The closest we have is probably a slush, or iceblast, which are frozen drinks.

As a kid I loved bubble gum flavor! :)And I still do! I'm surprised nobody likes bubble gum flavor.

None that I've found in Scotland (too wet and cold). Have tred them in Singapore and the US including Hawaii tho and really lovely.

Oooh, I remember the snowballs in Taiwan and China! Beans sweetened with sugar, sweetened boiled peanuts, chopped up fruit, and condensed milk. May sound strange but it was awesome!!! Especially the mango version, to die for.

Oh wow! I'm drooling over all of the wonderful concoctions described in the article and the comments! Here in Australia I'm only familar with slushies. Which are basically just icy drinks flavoured with syrups like cola etc. Not very exciting in comparison!

can you imagine eggy snow cones?? yuck! I'll take pineapple or lime anytime

Mmmmm...snowballs! One of the first things my now-husband introduced me to when I moved to Maryland one August many years ago. I keep threatening to move back to Canada and support myself with a traveling snowball truck - everyone should have the chance to try snowballs. (Of course, I'd also like to open a "Harvey's" hamburgers restaurant in Baltimore so there you go....). Chocolate snowballs with marshmallow on top - the best! (With chocolate soft-serve ice cream at the bottom of the cup).

love this story-what a yummy treat-makes me hungry for a snowball!

We LOVE sno-cones! We even have a sno-cone maker. It is our favorite kitchen utensil!!!

Make it vegan, and I'm there! But, I'm not goign to lie... a natural fruit syrup would be ideal! I remember eating the blue and red sno cone brand stuff (the one with the cartoon dog mascot) when I was a kid, and always thought it was gross... bitter, staining, and never anything like the blueberry and/or cherry promised ;-)

this is very Insteresting and the fact i love sno- cones makes it better i rlly like this blog

I grew up in Puerto Rico and my favorite are the "frambuesa" (similar but not quite the same to strawberry) piraguas. When I go to Puerto Rico one of my first stops is a piragua stand in Old San Juan. I also look for them in Chicago or New york. Now that you mentioned it, I should buy the machine!

huh, I had no idea there were so many variations! I'm just used to sweet cherry syrup over shaved ice.

I didn't know the wide variety of snow cone options! I just thought there was one, and it was made by that Snoopy thing! Kidding, but I really didn't know the full extent. Interesting article! Now I want one :)

Cool! I think I just found another use for my little pinch pots -- perfect for sno- cones! I'm going to tag them that way, and I'm going to try make some sno cones right now!

Here on the Bayous of Deep South Lafourche Parish-further down south then New Orleans, old traditions still stands. Snowballs. It is a shaved ice block (like powdered snow-when done correctly) drowned in syrup (syrup is a extract flavor & sugar water mixture-need a little science to mix it all together correctly) then topped with condense milk (sweet milk). Young generations add ice cream in the center &/Or on top. These are called Stuffed Snowballs. Most snowball stand have just about every flavor you can imagine-most that needs a free mind to eat. Everything from super sour to super sweet & much in between!! Here we also have them all year long-365 days. Due to the fact we don't have much of a winter & rarely see snow!!

I recently tried a rose wine slushie. Yeah, that was awesome. It takes the excitement of feeling like a kid in summer and combines it with WINE. Hehe. And it was truly delicious, and not too sweet!

I'd sure like to taste a good snow cone :)

Oh my, snowcones...the watery, distaff cousin of the ice cream cone. Although any frozen treat was appreciated, as a kid I was always slightly disappointed at getting a snowcone-even a blue one. Nothing compared to a chocolate ice cream cone.

I've started making Granita. Basically you can take any liquid and freeze it. stirring or "scraping" ever hour or so. You end up with a shave ice type of yummy...but when it melts it doesn't do that water/syrup separation. I just made strawberry lime and it's fantastic. I've hear of people doing it with strong coffee too! I want to try pineapple with some coconut whipped cream. Just pure fruit and some water or juice and freeze. It helps to freeze that bowl or pan first so it takes less time.

I love snow cones, especially if you can find surar free flavorings. Being in Florida I purchased a snow cone machine that had a hand crank at the top and did a great job in shaving thin ice so you don't get a big chunk when eating it. I also found more and more commercial flavors such as Pina Colada and Rootbeer (my favorite). I overstocked on some of these thinking they were surar free too, but realized that was just my reading the lables wrong. No worry, now I have an electric snow cone machine and I found a cotton candy machine this year.

I will go for any of these...I love to taste new flavors and different versions of the same thing :)

Hi, Dominique's mom here--the snowballs look delicious! It takes me back to my days of growing up in Hawaii (island of Oahu) and ordering a shave ice--YUMMY for the tummy :)