Slush Fun: 5 Cities for Ultimate Snow Cones

Here’s a fun way to give your kids a taste of local culture on your next vacation: buy them a snow cone.

We’re only half kidding. After all, the classic summer treat—s old at mom-and-pop stands across the U.S.—still carries a fair amount of regional distinction. New York City has its dense, smooth Italian ices (often found in pizza places) and piraguas (a Puerto Rican version named for its pyramid shape), while Philadelphia has its more slushy-style water ices.

No particular version can claim to be the first or most authentic, and even the provenance of the snow cone is hazy: sometime between the Roman Empire and the Texas State Fair of 1919, folks realized how delicious it was to put some fruit or juice on top of shaved or crushed ice. Credit for finally bringing the snack into the modern age goes to Samuel Bert, who worked at the Texas State Fair for 65 years and invented the first ice-scraping snow cone machine in the late 1920s.

The following cities, however, can rightfully claim to have the quirkiest or most interesting versions—and which sometimes even require some local lingo to order the most authentic flavor. Here’s where to find them:

Kansas City

Like so many popular indulgences—beer, cupcakes, coffee—even snow cones can go artisanal, and Kansas City may be on the cutting edge of the foodie-friendly snowball. At Little Freshie’s (811 West 17th Street)—a popular, small-batch-made soda fountain—you can get snow cones in avant-garde flavors such as watermelon basil, blackberry lavender and homemade root beer.

(MORE: Find parents’ recommendations for kid-friendly hotels in K.C.)

Baltimore, Maryland

Charm City has what may be the longest association with snow cones—or snowballs, as they are known here—reportedly dating back more than a century and once served in vaudeville theaters. While you can find a rainbow of flavors today, the local favorite is still egg custard, topped with a dollop of marshmallow goo. You can get them at spots such as Walther Gardens (4715 Walther Ave.) or Stouten’s Shaved Ice Snowballs at the Stouten Bear Creek Marina (817 Wise Ave.).