The Snowball
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Not a winter music festival --- an authentic Baltimore summer treat.
"In Baltimore, we take our snowballs seriously.
You may think you know what a snowball is. That conical treat of chunky ice where all of the flavor drips out of the bottom of a paper triangle? Nope, that's a snowcone. That fruity, pureed ice that you have to scrape with a wooden spoon? Nope, that's Italian ice. Or maybe the fluffy bowl of ice with condensed milk on top? Wrong again—that's Hawaiian shave ice.
The closest thing to a Baltimore snowball can be found in New Orleans. But in the Big Easy rendition, the ice is shaved more finely, for a consistency that's delicate and light but easily turns soupy."
A classic Baltimore snowball arrives in a Styrofoam cup: shaved ice sloshed with sweet syrup—mostly artificial flavoring and not any of that "real fruit" stuff—and typically topped with marshmallow cream. While the ice is shaved, it's not fine enough to dissolve, leaving the snowball chunky and intact enough to survive humid Baltimore summers."
https://www.seriouseats.com/snowball-baltimore-shaved-ice-best-snowball-...
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
"During the Industrial
The history:
"During the Industrial Revolution in America, ice houses sprung up in north-eastern states like New York. These ice houses shipped ice to much warmer southern states, such as Florida. A large block of ice was placed in a wagon and sent southward, straight through Baltimore city, Maryland. Children in Baltimore would collect small chunks or scrapings of ice, which they brought back to their mothers who would crush and flavor them with home-made flavorings. Egg-custard was a popular flavoring and easy to make, only consisting of eggs, vanilla and sugar; this mixture could be whipped up quickly in anticipation of even quicker melting ice.
Later in the century, when inventions such as the automobile made ice even more readily available, theaters in Baltimore began selling snowballs during the summer months. ... The Great Depression and World War II, as well as the increasing availability of electricity, would be the catalyst for snowballs becoming a commonly available and beloved Baltimore treat. Because ice had become so cheap and flavorings (such as the ever popular egg-custard) so easily made and inexpensive, snowballs went from being a hoity-toity theater confection to being one of the only treats folks could afford. In the summer, people who had fallen on hard times would sell snowballs on the street, topped with the also inexpensive marshmallow for rock-bottom prices. This earned the marshmallow topped snowball the moniker “The Hard-Times Sundae” or the “Penny Sundae.”
https://anthro-foodie.blogspot.com/2011/05/6-put-marshmallow-on-your-sno...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
The machine:
The machine:
Shaves the ice exactly right. Costs about $2,000.
You might even find a real snowball in the Bay area:
"...Baum grew up in Baltimore, but after living in the San Francisco Bay Area for the last 12 years and always craving that icy treat, she decided to bring the Baltimore snowball to the West. After attending a food truck festival in Oakland in 2009, Baum got the idea to do a snowball truck.
“It’s been fun introducing the snowball to the Bay Area,” said Baum, “It was surprising in the beginning that I had to actually educate people on what a snowball is.”
The Skylite Snowball truck has a variety of over 50 flavors and they are always inventing new recipes. The truck usually stocks four to ten recipes a day and they are always changing depending on the season or month, but they usually stock the basics. The marshmallow cream topping is literally the cherry on top of the iconic snowball."
https://hiddenbaltimore.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/charm-city-loves-snowba...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: cultivate kindness
> typically topped with
> typically topped with marshmallow cream
So, like Fluff? How does that respond to the ice? I imagine it hardens, and gets kind of chewy?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: MarkD
Doesn't have a chance in hell
Doesn't have a chance in hell.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
no Mike, somehow it doesn't
no Mike, somehow it doesn't freeze. The consistency stays like a glob of Elmer's Glue, even between layers of ice.
" ...On a busy day, he said the line snakes through the parking lot to the stand, where six or seven employees serve customers through four windows. Covington estimates he sells about 3,000 snowballs during a good summer week....Castronova said it’s not uncommon for the stand to go through 15 5-gallon buckets of marshmallow topping in one week."
A little research reveals a diabetic's nightmare:
Can you imagine driving a couple of kids around in the family station wagon after eating that? The1960s version of Ritalin.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
What's the difference between
one of the first dirty jokes we learned:
What's the difference between a snowman and a snow-woman?
Snowballs