Best Snowballs in Essex and Middle River

In search of the perfect cool treat on a hot summer day.

It's hot out. Really hot. What better way to cool off than with a delicious ice-cold snowball? But which of the several neighborhood stands to choose? It depends on how you like your snowball, from the texture of the ice to the sweetness level and amount of syrup. The snowball has been a Maryland tradition dating back to the 1850s, when ice first became commercially available. Ice houses located in New York would ship ice south in a large open wagon. The children of Baltimore could run along beside the wagon and beg for a small shaving. Their mothers soon began experimenting with flavored syrups to make the treat special, and egg custard was born. The tradition soon spread to Baltimore theaters, where it was considered an upper-class treat…

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