Finely shaved ice soaked in flavoured syrup and often crowned with marshmallow, the egg-custard flavour being the Baltimore default. It is the city's summer treat, sold from corner stands.
The Baltimore snowball dates to the 19th century, when ice shaved from blocks was sold cheap to working families through the summer. Unlike a coarse snow cone, the ice is shaved fine enough to drink with a spoon, then drenched in syrup. Egg custard, a vanilla-yellow flavour, is the local signature, frequently topped with a layer of marshmallow. Seasonal stands, some over a century old, still run from spring through summer across the neighbourhoods.
