There is nothing like a snowball to beat the heat on a Baltimore summer day. Handmade snowballs could be readily found around Baltimore as early as the 1850s and 20th century machines helped further popularize the confection of shaved ice and flavored syrup that’s often topped with marshmallow. Not to be confused with other shaved ice treats like Japan’s kakigori, Hawaii’s shave ice, Mexico’s raspados or New Orleans’ sno-balls, which use finer shavings and are more likely to be drizzled with condensed milk than marshmallow, Baltimore’s snowballs have attained a cultural importance that transcends the mere need to beat the heat. So, how did they get so big here?
