The Story Behind The Treat Maine Kids Have Loved For 70 Years

After having a low-calorie, "health" meal for lunch, I kind of figured that I was deserving of a treat. Digging through the bottom of the freezer here at work, I spotted a little piece of my childhood: Hoodsie Cups!

I snatched it out of the freezer, tore off the top, and grabbed a spoon. Even though without the wood paddle "spoon", it was not exactly the same, it was still good.  But, it got me thinking about where Hoodsie Cups came from.  I knew they were a New England thing, but I was curious about their origin.  Who was the man or woman who first came up with the idea for the Hoodsie Cup?

So, I did some digging.

For those who don't know, a "Hoodsie Cup" or just a "Hoodsie" is a 3 once paper cup filled with a mix of premium vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

According to NewEngland.com, they have been around since 1947. And, even though maker H. P. Hood has changed hands several times in the last few decades, the quality is still there.

According to Wikipedia, the company was owned by Agway from 1980 to 1995.  It is now owned by a Massachusetts man named John Kaneb.

These little treats are so "New England" that they are the official ice cream brand of the Boston Red Sox.

Up until the 1990s, the treats came with a signature wooden spoon.  Not a surprise, you had to be careful about how you used the spoon or you could end up with small slivers in your tongue.  Even though I have not seen them myself, I have been told that if you buy a Hoodsie Cup from those convenience store freezers, you can still find the individually wrapped wood spoons.

Another Hoodsie Cup feature we don't see anymore is the collectible lid.  According to Yankee Magazine, back in the day, the lids even featured pictures of celebrities like athletes, actors, and actresses.

One of the best things about them is that they are pretty healthy. Their small size means that they don't have a crazy amount of calories or fat. Each cup only has about 100 calories.  To put that in perspective, a Boston cream donut has about 270 calories.  Also, for ice cream lovers that are at least 21 years old, a regular bottle of Sam Adams has about 180 calories.

After going pretty far down the Hoodsie Cup rabbit hole, I have learned a lot about the ice cream treats, but I still couldn't find an answer to my original question.  So, let me say, to whoever created these amazing treats, thank you!