After the recent storms and rain in Scotland, MCI are dreaming of sunnier times. With that in mind, it is a coincidence that this week in 1904, the ice cream waffle cone was invented.
Ice cream itself has an incredibly long history and it is suspected to have come from China, about 4,000 years ago. However, there is written evidence from Roman times of ice being used in a dessert. There was no specific carrier for ice cream until the 19th century. Very thick glass cups were used to put the ice cream in and it was simply licked out. Hence the name ‘Penny Licks’. The big problem with this, was that the cups were rarely, if ever, cleaned. This was blamed for a cholera outbreak in London and the cups were banned in London in 1899. Disgusting.
It is said that the waffle cone came into being at the St Louis World’s Fair in 1904. It was invented accidentally by Mr Ernest E. Hamwi, a Baker from Syria. Mr Hamwi’s stall was next to an ice cream sellers and, when Mr Hamwi saw that his neighbour had run out of dishes to serve his ice cream in, he grabbed one of his pastries and fashioned it into a cone. The rest is history. The waffle cone was a hit and copied across America. Hamwi then founded the Missouri Cone Company in 1910.
Engaging as this story is, there is much academic debate over its truth. There is some evidence in a painting of a woman in Paris eating an ice cream from a glass cone. Could this have been a precursor to the waffle cone? In any case, back in the US after 1904, there were quite a few court cases, as different inventors tried to lay claim to the invention of the waffle cone.
MCI has fixed many an industrial ice cream maker over the years, and have kept one of the nation’s busiest industries going. If you have any electronic or electrical issues with your machinery, give us a call on 01324 611371, to see how we can help you keep your machinery going. Have a great weekend everyone!