Did you know that there were several different types of ice cream cones that were invented? Besides the traditional waffle type, we’ve also seen other styles such as the Marchiony, Hamwi and David Avayou cones. All of these are still popular today. But how did they come to be?
Abe Doumar
Did you know Doumar’s in Norfolk, Virginia is the home of the ice cream cone. The family-owned restaurant has been making homemade waffle cones since 1907. They still make them according the original recipe.
According to reports, Abe Doumar, a Syrian immigrant who invented the ice cream cone, was responsible for inventing it. Doumar claims he was inspired to create the ice cream cone by pita bread, which he rolled into a cone stuffed with jam. He was selling a product that looked like a zalabia, a kind of pastry that was commonly used by Lebanese Muslims.
After he scouted the fair, Doumar bought a waffle and rolled it into a cone. He then topped it off with ice cream. This was a huge success and other vendors quickly followed his idea.
After the fair, Doumar opened a stand at the Ocean View Amusement Park in Norfolk. At the time, the park was the most popular oceanfront attraction in the southern United States. The park was destroyed by Hurricane Irene in 1933, but the family business survived.
Hamwi and Marchiony
The history of the ice cream cone has been a source of contention. There have been several inventors that have laid claim to the invention. While the origin of the ice cream cone remains undetermined, the idea appears to have originated at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri.
The fair was a seven-month extravaganza of glitz and glamour, with radio, silent films, and telephone switchboards. It was 500 hectares in size (1235 acres) and attracted 18 million people. It showcased a new and exciting world of inventions.
Among the many new inventions at the Fair was a rolled-waffle-like pastry called Zalabia. Unlike the traditional waffle, it was coated in sugar and wrapped around a scoop of ice cream in a conical fashion. Hamwi, a Syrian immigrant selling the pastry at a stand in front of an Ice Cream Stand.
Europeans used metal cones or paper cones to hold ice cream in the late 1800s. This way of serving desserts has been around for a while. However, in the early 1900s, Italo Marchiony (an Italian emigrant) invented a waffle-shaped container that could hold ice cream.
David Avayou
The ice cream cone is a recognizable icon of desserts throughout the world. It can be enjoyed all year round, from winter to spring. However, its origins are unclear. Some believe that the cone was created at the 1904 World’s Fair. Others claim it was created in the early 20th century.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, roving vendors sold ice cream on city streets. They often used glass utensils, called penny licks, to serve the icy treat. These were small stemmed glasses that were almost unsanitary.
Cones were still rolled manually until the invention in 1909 of the automatic cone roller. This machine was built by Frank Marchiony, a native of Italy who had migrated to Brooklyn. He was one the most prominent cone manufacturers in the United States. His company, Valvona-Marchiony, was a thriving business.
Other alleged inventors include Abe Doumar and Arnold Fornachou. Both were vendors at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. During their time there, they saw people skipping the stands that sold ice cream.
Waffle cones
The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair was also known as Louisiana Purchase Exposition. It was here that the waffle cones were invented for ice cream. Its entertainment area included a large number of ice cream vendors.
At the fair, a Syrian baker named Ernest A. Hamwi was selling zalabis, or thin waffles. He was using a hot waffle iron to cook the wafers, which were then rolled into a cone shape.
At the time, people in Europe and the Middle East were using metal cones to hold ice cream. They would wrap their sweets with pita bread.
While at the fair, Doumar noticed a man making waffles on a single-iron waffle maker. He was familiar with the tradition of forming pita bread into cones and suggested that the same technique could be used to make ice cream.
Abe Doumar decided to experiment with his own invention. He set up a stand on the streets of Jerusalem in the exposition. His brothers were a part of the operation. Eventually, the family moved to New York.
Mario’s creativity shines through his ability to describe the sensory experience of enjoying ice cream. Whether he’s discussing the velvety texture, the explosion of flavors, or the delightful combinations of toppings and sauces, his words transport readers to a world of mouthwatering sensations. His descriptive language allows readers to imagine and savor the flavors even before taking the first bite.
