Poke hat

Andrew C. · Post by **Andrew C.** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 1:34 pm

I was speaking to an Anglo/Italian of my acquantance and I mentioned poke hats to see if it meant anything to her, it didn't. I explained that ice cream vendors in Scotland were called Capoke men and a poke hat was an ice cream cone. She still looked at me blankly I did an internet search and nothing came up. Can anyone confirm I am not going insane and tell me the origins of this term?

Post by **AndrewP** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 1:44 pm

Hi Andrew,

I know of that same term as a pokey hat. On having a quick google, pokey hat is most commonly an ice cream cone, but can also be packaging for other foods, such as chips served in paper folded to form a cone shape.

All the best,

AndrewP

Post by **joette** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 1:49 pm

Oh yes a POKEY HAT from Dino's in Helensburgh-oh my mouth is watering even if it's around 2 degrees.
Never heard of Capoke men-that's a new one on me.
I always thought it referred to the shape of the bottom of the cone.

Oh yes with raspberry sauce or not?(me not) With chocolate flake(a 99) or not?-oh yes!!.

apanderson · Post by **apanderson** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:40 pm

Or a pokey-hat from Nardini's in Largs - wonderful.

We called the ice-cream van - the Cappochi man? I never thought about it until now - maybe a reference to their Italian Roots rather than it being an actual surname?

Anne

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 12:03 am

AndrewP wrote:Hi Andrew,

I know of that same term as a pokey hat. On having a quick google, pokey hat is most commonly an ice cream cone, but can also be packaging for other foods, such as chips served in paper folded to form a cone shape.

All the best,

AndrewP

I always thought of it in terms of the wafer cone. I still call a paper bag a poke.

My Gran used to give me a poke (a cone shape of brown paper ) full of sugar to dip my raw rhubard in.

no wonder I've got terrible teeth.

regards,
Annette

Post by **Merlot** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:36 am

apanderson wrote: We called the ice-cream van - the Cappochi man? I never thought about it until now - maybe a reference to their Italian Roots rather than it being an actual surname?

Anne

I agree Anne,

Pokey hat was an ice cream cone and the the van or vendor was the Cappochi man.
And a poke of chips. (with salt & vinegar

).

Merlot

Andrew C. · Post by **Andrew C.** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:53 am

I asked my mother her opinion (rarely a good idea) and she backed up what a lot of what you have been saying, a pokey hat relates to the shape of the cone or bag, some reference to a clown's hat (don't know what the connection is) She thought Capokey where an Italian family from Hamilton however I'm with the others who think Capochi Man was a generic term and where 'pochi or pokey hat came from however this may be a coincidence.

According to http://www.scotsitalian.com/cafeandchippie.htm however the early ice cream vendors would sell there ice cream from barrows (what would health and safety say?) with the cries of 'Gelati, eco un poco' and they became know as the Hokey Pokey Boys, just another coincidence?

bobbyinmelbourne · Post by **bobbyinmelbourne** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:31 am

On a hot-!-summer Sunday, I'd be sent up to Main st with a jug to 'the Tallies'for icecream. As a child I never twigged that the owners of the icecream shop were of Italian origin, or the 'tallie' van either, but sort of assumed as kids do that Italians=icecream( Mr Heinz made spaghetti)
What was the name of the wafers with chocolate edges and nougat centre? they were a special treat.
Bobby in Melbourne

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 9:52 am

bobbyinmelbourne wrote:On a hot-!-summer Sunday, I'd be sent up to Main st with a jug to 'the Tallies'for icecream. As a child I never twigged that the owners of the icecream shop were of Italian origin, or the 'tallie' van either, but sort of assumed as kids do that Italians=icecream( Mr Heinz made spaghetti)
What was the name of the wafers with chocolate edges and nougat centre? they were a special treat. Bobby in Melbourne

They were (and still are) called a nougat.

You could a have a single, or if you were really flush, a double nougat.

My favourite treat was a 'sponge'. Basically 2 rusks with ice cream in the middle.

Regards,
Annette M

apanderson · Post by **apanderson** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:26 pm

Or if you were really posh - an oyster.

Wee shell shaped wafers filled with a wee drop of the special nougat filling, then their edges dipped in chocolate and toasted coconut. The poshness went right out the window though when you asked for a squirt of strawberry sauce on it!!

Can anybody remember if all this was in the days before 'Mr. Whippy' came along - or was that what started the 'ice-cream wars'

Anne