The Story Behind One Of The Fair's Snowy Treats

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- This year the Minnesota State Fair added 32 new foods, and seven of them are a must on hot days.

Ice cream and frozen treats always have a long line when the temperatures rise, and that's no different for the Minnesnowii shaved ice.

Minnesnowii is one of those treats that has found its own little niche at the State Fair. There just aren't many cool treats like it. It isn't too filling, it doesn't give you the sugar high, it's just a revamped version of a treat you had as a kid.

Jason Giandalia created Minnesnowii shaved ice five years ago after tasting something similar on a trip to Hawaii.

"A light bulb went off and I said, 'Hey, I'm going home to share this with everybody,'" he said.

The difference isn't just in the ice consistency, with frozen layers shaved so thin, it resembles snow. It's also the syrup, which is lighter and less sugary than you're used to. It's made from 100 percent pure cane sugar, with no high fructose corn syrup.

This year, Giandalia has a brand new turbo-charged snow cone in his repertoire: the maple bacon shaved ice. A bacon flavored concentrate coats the ball of snowy ice, and crumbles of the real pork product follow. Then there's a maple syrup drizzle.