Day 18 – Sno-balls
You might think that all sno-balls are created equal, but if you’ve ever had a Hansen’s sno-ball, you know this couldn’t be further from the truth. Let me back up for a second and explain that a sno-ball is, what some of you refer to as a snow cone. For the first 27 years of my life, I ate snow cones, but I’ve been a connoisseur of sno-balls for the past 22. You can’t beat sweet, flavorful syrup over ice on a hot Louisiana summer day, and a Hansen’s sno-ball is the creme de la creme. (Mmmm…they have cream filled, too.)
Hansen’s was started by Ernest and Mary Hansen in 1939. Not only did they invent the first ice shaving machine (and, oh my goodness, that ice is like frozen silk), but they also created their own unique, homemade flavors. Seventy-eight years later, Hansen’s is still making their delicious, homemade flavors, with Ernest and Mary’s granddaughter Ashley at the helm. Of course, there is a price to pay for such goodness, and with Hansen’s, it is in the form of an often lengthy wait. Lines have been known to stretch halfway down the block, and waits may be well over an hour, especially on the weekends. I once waited an hour and a half for my go-to flavor of satsuma, and yes, it was worth it. Honestly, every flavor I’ve had was worth the time I spent in line…nectar, lavender and vanilla bean, strawberry cream, and their once-a-month flavor, bananas foster. I have said the bananas foster sno-ball is life-changing, and while that might be a bit dramatic, it’s not far from the truth.
If you are a fan of great sno-balls, I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news…Hansen’s closes the end of October and does not reopen until March. The good news, as a gift to us sno-ball lovers, they will give us a few bonus days in December so we can enjoy some seasonal flavors. Sure the lines will be long, but that will just give us more time to decide if we want eggnog,…or maybe peppermint…or how about hot chocolate? I wonder if they’re taking suggestions.
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