Walking down Knickerbocker Ave. along Maria Hernandez Park, I saw a gentleman sitting by the curb before a small barrel that contained a smaller tub; with a bowl scraper, he slathered a sunny yellow substance into serving cups. "Mexican ice cream," he told me, though it seemed more like a creamy ice. I've since learned that "nieve" is the usual name — literally "snow," apparently vanilla "sherbet."
That encounter was more than a decade ago. On a recent afternoon I found him preparing four flavors on the spot: limón, melón, vainilla, and (my choice, shown below) tamarindo. A pair of younger arms helped with the paddling.
Nieves vendor
To the west of Maria Hernandez Park, most recently on Suydam St. near the southwest corner with Knickerbocker Ave., Bushwick, Brooklyn
Ready to serve in midafternoon
