Yes! And the one behind it is Ernest Hamwi, a young Syrian immigrant from around Damascus, who was selling Arabic pastry at a trade fair in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904. Next to Hamwi in the fair was an ice cream vendor, who was making good sales that at some point he ran out of cups. Hamwi came to his aid by rolling the ice cream in crisp wafers that he used to make zalabia (known in Syria as 'awwameh).
The idea was a huge success that after the fair, Hamwi sold his oven and cofounded the Conrnucopia Waffle Company before founding his own Missouri Cone Company in 1910.
Hamwi detailed the story behind his invention in a letter he wrote to the Ice Cream Trade Journal in 1928. Although disputed by other vendors who were present at the fair, including 2 other Syrian immigrants: Abe Doumar and Nick Kabbaz, Hamwi's story remained the most popular legend and the official version adopted by the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers.
... And they say we made no contributions to humanity!
Further reading:
- History of the ice cream cone
- Zalabia and the first ice cream cone
Recent Comments