Best Snowballs in Essex and Middle River

It's hot out. Really hot.

What better way to cool off than with a delicious ice-cold snowball? But which of the several neighborhood stands to choose? It depends on how you like your snowball, from the texture of the ice to the sweetness level and amount of syrup.

The snowball has been a Maryland tradition dating back to the 1850s, when ice first became commercially available. Ice houses located in New York would ship ice south in a large open wagon.

The children of Baltimore could run along beside the wagon and beg for a small shaving. Their mothers soon began experimenting with flavored syrups to make the treat special, and egg custard was born.

The tradition soon spread to Baltimore theaters, where it was considered an upper-class treat. But with the onset of the Great Depression, the snowball broke from its Baltimore roots and exploded on the national scene due to its low cost.

The snowball remains a popular treat in the Baltimore area with family-owned stands dominating local neighborhoods. But who has the best snowball in Essex?

My family and I went on a week-long mission to find out.

Our first stop was the , located at 701 Mace Avenue. The first thing you notice is the brightly painted ocean mural adorning the building, along with several picnic tables where your family can sit and enjoy their cool delights.

The next thing you notice is their long list of 40 flavors, from exotic like buttered popcorn and tropical sunrise, to the more familiar like egg custard and skylight.

My son Shawn ordered a Captain America, a Neapolitan mix of cherry, skylight and ice cream. My daughter Madison ordered Nemo, a mix of mango and ice cream. My wife Kristine ordered skylight, and I stuck with the original, egg custard.

The shaved ice was just the right consistency, not too fine and not too chunky. The homemade flavors, made with sugar syrup instead of corn syrup, were bright and crisp, not overly sweet. Mine tasted reminiscent of the homemade egg custards of my youth, with just a hint of vanilla.

“I think what sets us apart from the other local snowball stands is our flavor selection,” said Melisa Hall, a 12-year employee of the Baltimore Snowball Factory. “Most local stands use Koldkiss or Kavern flavors, but because we make all our flavors in-house we can offer more variety.”

Our second stop was Icy Delights, located in Martin Plaza behind . The efficient staff at Icy Delights reduced the sizable line ahead of us to nothing before my kids could get restless, much to our pleasure.

Shawn ordered a Spongebob/banana, and Madison had a Nemo again. My egg custard was delicious, and the fine shaved ice melted to a smooth, almost creamy texture.

On the third day of our snowball adventure we went to Juicy Snowballs located in the Hawthorne Shopping Center. Juicy Snowballs lived up to its name. My kids loved that they could drink their snowballs right from the cup, but I was somewhat disappointed at the lack of texture and the strong, sweet flavor. Juicy uses Koldkiss flavors, which are made with corn syrup.

I stumbled upon Anthony's Snowballs while driving alone along Stemmers Run Road. I stopped for a quick treat. Looking to have a lower-calorie snowball, I asked the attractive attendant for a list of their diet flavors, and chose spearmint. The ice was nice and chunky and the flavor was refreshingly sweet.

Our last stand was Lida's Snowball stand on Philadelphia Road in Rosedale. Long a favorite of my family, Lida's provided a long list of great regular and diet flavors that will satisfy the snowball lover in everyone. Shawn loved his Spongebob, Madison went crazy for her Nemo, my wife enjoyed her skyblue and I devoured my diet egg custard. The friendly, efficient staff made our snowballs in record time and we ate them just as fast.

So, after tasting snowballs from five local snowball stands, which one do I think is the best?

Hands down, the Baltimore Snowball Factory. The combination of the more than 40 homemade flavors, homemade marshmallow and just the right texture of ice makes for the perfect summer treat.