Sno-ball facts for kids
A sno-ball from Hansen's Sno-Bliz in New Orleans
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| Type | Frozen dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Created by | Ernest Hansen |
| Main ingredients | Water, cane syrup, flavoring |
A sno-ball is a super yummy frozen treat from Louisiana, USA. It's made with very finely shaved ice and sweet, flavored sugar syrup. People often mix it up with a snow cone, but they are different!
Imagine a cloud of fluffy ice – that's a sno-ball. A snow cone has crunchier, more granular ice. Also, in a sno-ball, the soft ice soaks up all the delicious syrup. In a snow cone, the syrup usually just sinks to the bottom.
Sno-balls are a seasonal delight. You can usually find them from March to October. They are sold at special "sno-ball stands" in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Maryland.
How Sno-balls Started
Before the 1930s, people made sno-balls by hand. They scraped ice from a big block. This made the ice rougher and crunchier.
Then, in 1933, a clever person named Ernest Hansen started working on a new idea. By 1934, he had invented the very first ice-shaving machine that ran on a motor! For two years, Ernest kept his amazing machine a family secret. He only made sno-balls for his children and relatives.
In 1936, Ernest and his wife Mary decided to share their invention. They opened a shop in New Orleans called Hansen's Sno-Bliz. The shop was open off and on for a couple of years because Mary was busy raising their children. But in 1939, they opened it for good. Their shop stayed in business for an incredible 67 years!
Around the same time, another inventor named George Ortolano, who was a grocer, also created his own ice-shaving machine. He later called it the Sno-Wizard. At first, his machine was made of wood. But people loved it so much and wanted to start their own sno-ball businesses. So, George redesigned his machine using strong metal. He then made plans for his machine to be produced in factories. Today, Ortolano's Sno-Wizards are the main sno-ball machines used in Louisiana and all along the Gulf Coast.
Yummy Flavors
There are so many different sno-ball flavors to try! Here are some of the popular ones you might find at sno-ball stands in New Orleans:
- Almond
- Banana
- Bahama Mama
- Blue Bubble Gum
- Blueberry
- Blue Raspberry
- Buttered popcorn
- Cake batter
- Cherry
- Chocolate
- Coconut
- Coffee
- Cotton Candy
- Cream soda
- Creamsicle
- Daiquiri
- French vanilla
- Grape
- Ice cream
- Key lime pie
- King cake
- Kiwi
- Lemon
- Margarita
- Nectar
- Orange
- Orchid cream vanilla
- Peach
- Peanut butter
- Piña colada
- Pineapple
- Raspberry
- Rocket 88
- Root beer
- Silver fox
- Spearmint
- Strawberry
- Tamarind
- Tiger's blood
- Tutti frutti
- Vanilla malt
- Watermelon
- Wedding cake
Different Kinds of Sno-balls
Sno-balls can come with fun twists and toppings!
- Cheesecake Stuffed Snowball: This special sno-ball has yummy cheesecake hidden right in the middle! You pick your favorite sno-ball flavor, and it surrounds the cheesecake.
- Stuffed sno-ball: This is a sno-ball with a scoop of vanilla or chocolate soft-serve ice cream inside.
- Cream-flavored sno-ball: This type of sno-ball is made by mixing the flavored syrup with evaporated milk. It gives it a creamy, smooth taste.
- Sugar-free sno-ball: If you want less sugar, you can get a sno-ball made with sugar-free syrup.
- Toppings: You can add extra treats like soft-serve ice cream, condensed milk (which is sweet and creamy), marshmallow fluff, or crushed Oreos!
