History of the Snow Balls vs Snow Cones

A snow-ball is a New Orleans confection made with finely shaved ice and flavored cane sugar syrup. Commonly confused with the snow cone, the ice of a snow-ball is fine and fluffy; while a snow cone’s ice is coarse, crunchy, and granular. Moreover, in a snow cone the flavored syrup sinks to the bottom of the cup; while in a snow-ball the ice absorbs the syrup. Snow-balls are a seasonal treat as they are generally sold only from roughly March to October. They are vended from Snow-Ball stands” throughout New Orleans and in other parts of Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Maryland, and Virginia.