CLEVELAND -- We knew the story of downtown Cleveland's historic Higbee building.
What we didn't know was the store used to sell a special frozen concoction nostalgic to many of its young customers in the 1950s. It came served in a small glass, no spoon or straw. It was frozen, but not solid. Creamy, but not too thick. Sweet, but not too decadent.
It was a Higbee's frosted malt, the sweet treat that many Clevelanders believe is a thing of the past.
It's not, though.
We heard there were two local ice cream stands serving up frosted malts, both of which claimed to have the original Higbee's.
Weber's Custard and Ice in Fairview Park claimed to have the original machinery and recipe for Higbee's frosted malt. In fact, the stand claimed that Higbee's actually stole their recipe.
The owners of Rosati's Frozen Custard in Northfield created their own frosted malt recipe and trademarked it as Higbee's own.
PHOTOS | The hunt for the original Higbee's frosted malt
Then there's Wendy's Frosty, one of the best desserts that 99 cents can buy. Wendy's doesn't claim to be a Higbee's Frosty, but the fast-food giant does have some history with it. You'll learn more in the podcast.
So we set out for a taste test. None of us had the chance to try an original Higbee's frosted malt, but we talked to some locals who were more than happy to reminisce.
Listen to the newest episode of WKYC's food podcast, Matter of Taste:
