For over a century, Americans have been enjoying ice cream on a cone. Whether it’s a waffle cone, a sugar cone, or a wafer cone, what better way to enjoy a double scoop of your favorite flavor? The ice cream cone is not just a serving method—it’s a cultural icon that has delighted generations.
Making Its Appearance
The first ice cream cone was produced in 1896 by Italo Marchiony. Marchiony, who emigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, invented his ice cream cone in New York City. He was granted a patent in December 1903.
Although Marchiony is credited with the invention of the cone, a similar creation was independently introduced at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair by Ernest A. Hamwi, a Syrian concessionaire. Hamwi was selling a crisp, waffle-like pastry—zalabis—in a booth right next to an ice cream vendor. Because of ice cream’s popularity, the vendor ran out of dishes.
Hamwi saw an easy solution to the vendor’s problem: he quickly rolled one of his wafer-like waffles in the shape of a cone, or cornucopia, and gave it to the ice cream vendor. The cone cooled in a few seconds, the vendor put some ice cream in it, the customers were happy, and the cone was on its way to becoming the great American institution it is today.
A Business is Born
St. Louis, a foundry town, quickly capitalized on the cone’s success. Enterprising people invented special baking equipment for making the World’s Fair cornucopia cones.
Stephen Sullivan of Sullivan, Missouri, was one of the first known independent operators in the ice cream cone business. In 1906, Sullivan served ice cream cones (or cornucopias, as they were still called) at the Modern Woodmen of America Frisco Log Rolling in Sullivan, Missouri.
Pada masa yang sama, Hamwi was busy with the Cornucopia Waffle Company. In 1910, he founded the Missouri Cone Company, later known as the Western Cone Company.
The Evolution of Cone-Making
As the modern ice cream cone developed, two distinct types of cones emerged. The rolled cone was a waffle, baked in a round shape and rolled (first by hand, later mechanically) as soon as it came off the griddle. In a few seconds, it hardened into the form of a crisp cone.
The second type of cone was molded either by pouring batter into a shell, inserting a core on which the cone was baked, and then removing the core; or pouring the batter into a mold, baking it, and then splitting the mold so the cone could be removed with little difficulty.
Industrial Growth
In the 1920s, the cone business expanded rapidly. Cone production in 1924 reached a record 245 million. Slight changes in automatic machinery have led to the ice cream cone we know today. Sekarang, millions of rolled cones are turned out on mesin kon aiskrim capable of producing about 150,000 cones every 24 jam.
A Global Sensation
While the ice cream cone is often considered an American creation, its popularity quickly spread worldwide. By the mid-20th century, cones were being sold in Europe, Asia, and South America, often adapted to local tastes. In Japan, for example, matcha (green tea) ice cream found its perfect partner in a delicate wafer cone, while in Italy, the cone became the portable counterpart to traditional gelato.
The Cone in Modern Culture
Hari ini, the ice cream cone is more than a treat—it’s an emblem of summertime joy. Social media has transformed it into a visual icon, with artisanal shops creating colorful, Instagram-ready cones topped with sprinkles, edible flowers, and gourmet drizzles. Vegan and gluten-free cones are now widely available, proving that this 100-year-old invention continues to evolve with changing tastes and dietary needs.