The start of summer signifies the start of something just as important: snow cone season. Arguably as exciting as three months off from school, snow cone season is an underappreciated thing. In order to fully appreciate a snow cone, the anatomy has to be perfect. This can be tricky, and it comes down to an exact science.

The size.

Typically, a snow cone stand will offer three sizes: small, medium and large. When standing in line, the heart always cries out for a large. The mind tries to convince you that there's no way you'll ever finish it, but it's just ice, right? How hard can it be? Five minutes later and with enough left over to fill eight smalls, you realize how big a mistake you've made. A medium can be a gamble and depends on just how hungry you are. If a medium is consumed too soon after the last meal you've eaten, you'll be left stuffed and filled with regrets. But, if enough time has passed, a medium can be the perfect size. You can't go wrong with a small, either. There's always room for a small no matter what.

The ice.

No one likes a chunky snow cone. If the ice is too chunky, there's really no difference between the chunky snow cone and a cup full of sugar water and some ice cubes. On the other hand, if the ice is too finely ground, it tends to clump together and form the consistency of a slushy. The ideal consistency comes when the ice is shaved just right — the closer to real snow the better.

The syrup.

The most important component of this whole operation is the syrup — it's what differentiates a snow cone from a cup of crushed ice. This may sound like common sense, but it's much more complicated than just pouring some colored flavoring onto the top of some ice. A snow cone with too much syrup is sickeningly sweet and will leave a tongue dyed for days. A snow cone with too little syrup is just a disappointment. Nothing is worse than getting a spoonful of plain old white ice. The middle ground between these two is the final step to ensuring a perfect snow cone.