Missouri Changed Desserts Forever at the 1904 World’s Fair

The Ice Cream Cone Was Invented at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis

It seems like anything that was created, invented, or simply experimented with happened at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. One of those creations is a dessert you probably have in your kitchen right now: the ice cream cone.

The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair introduced Americans to foods like the hamburger, hot dog, iced tea, and cotton candy. However, many food historians agree that the most influential food invention from the fair was the ice cream cone. Ice cream itself was invented in China and became commercially popular in the 1850s, but the ice cream cone was invented in Missouri, earning it a permanent place in American food history.

How the Ice Cream Cone Was Invented

The St. Louis World’s Fair is widely recognized as a turning point for American food culture. Visitors were exposed to new flavors and creative ideas they had never seen before. While many probably assumed these foods were temporary novelties, one invention stood the test of time.

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That invention came from Ernest Hamwi, a Syrian-born waffle concessionaire. When an ice cream vendor next to him ran out of glass serving dishes, Hamwi rolled one of his thin waffles into a cone, filled it with ice cream, and unknowingly created one of the most iconic desserts in the world. Just like that, the ice cream cone was born.

Missouri’s State Dessert

The ice cream cone became so popular that Missouri officially named it the state dessert in 2008, further cementing the state’s role in dessert history.

Best Places to Get an Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Cone in Missouri

If you’re craving a classic ice cream cone, here are some of the best spots in Missouri to check out:

• Becky’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor & Emporium – Hannibal
• Primo's - Canton
• Sparky's Ice Cream - Columbia
• The Fountain on Locust - St. Louis

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From the 1904 World’s Fair to ice cream shops across the state today, Missouri truly took ice cream to the next level with the invention of the ice cream cone.