“I suppose they gave it that name because it isn’t real, good, genuine ice-cream—just sort of a sham. You know, a ‘hocus-pocus’ is another word for a ‘hoax,’ or trick. So hokey-pokey ice-cream is a cheat. It’s cold and tastes sweet, but it isn’t good, clean wholesome food.” – Modern Physiology Hygiene and Health primer, 1921
Summer has caused me to once again revisit the storied history of Baltimore snowballs. As I have mentioned, the snowball endured many waves of health code threats. Luckily, nostalgia won out and snowballs have become something of a sacred cow when it comes to licensing crackdowns.
At the turn of the 20th century, there was an also-ran summer confection that didn’t fare quite as well.
A musician transcribes common Baltimore street sounds, Baltimore Sun, 1906