Hershey's Kisses
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hershey's Kisses are a type of chocolate manufactured by The Hershey Company. The bite-sized pieces of chocolate have a distinctive shape, commonly described as flat-bottomed teardrops. Hershey's Kisses are wrapped in squares of lightweight aluminum foil with a narrow strip of paper protruding from the top.
The Kisses are one of the most popular candies in the US. In 1989, the chocolate drops were the 5th most popular chocolate in the United States, spawning sales that topped $400 million. More than 80 million Hershey's Kisses are produced each day at the company's two factories. Today's Kisses use Hershey's original milk chocolate formula.
In 2006 Hershey's Kissables were introduced as a bite sized, candy coated alternative to Kisses.
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[edit] History
Hershey's Kisses were introduced in 1907. While it's not known exactly how Kisses got their name, it is a popular theory that the candy was named for the sound or motion of the chocolate being deposited during the manufacturing process.
Another Pennsylvania chocolatier, the Wilbur Chocolate Company, had been making a similar product known as Wilbur Buds since 1893. The shape and size of those candies likely served as an inspiration for Hershey's Kisses.
Hershey's Kisses were originally wrapped by hand. Automated wrapping began in 1921. The same automatic wrapping process allowed for the insertion of the distinctive paper "plume," that the company used to guarantee that consumers were getting the genuine Hershey product, rather than an imitation. This thin paper strip was registered as a company trademark in 1924.
Hershey's Kisses have been produced continuously since 1907, except for the period of time between 1942 and 1949. Rationing of raw materials during World War II made the aluminum foil for the wrappers a scarce commodity.[1]
[edit] Kiss varieties
Though originally made of solely milk chocolate, many variations of the Kiss have since been introduced. Hershey's introduces and discontinues new flavors constantly. As of January 2008, some of the flavors available throughout the year include[2]:
[edit] United States
- Milk Chocolate
- Milk Chocolate with almond
- Filled with Caramel
- HUGS (Milk Chocolate and white chocolate)
- Special Dark (Dark Chocolate)
- Pink Kisses (Milk Chocolate with Pink Wrappers in support of Breast Cancer Awareness)
- Cherry Cordial (Limited Edition)
- Filled with Peanut Butter
- Truffle
- Milk Chocolate with macadamia nuts (only in Hawaii)
- Crunchy Cookie (milk chocolate with oreo-like cookie bits)
[edit] International
- Hazelnut (May only be found in Asian markets)
- Green Tea (May only be found in Asian markets)
- Creamy Milk Chocolate (found in Europe)
- Creamy Milk Chocolate with Almonds (found in Europe)
[edit] Limited Time Only
- New York Style Cheesecake
- Orange Creme
- Vanilla Creme
- Lemon Creme
- Coconut Creme
- TRIO (dark, milk and white chocolates in one Kiss)
- Chocolate Marshmallow
- Cookies 'n' Creme (has little nonpareil bits - not the same as the European ones, they have little Oreo bits)
- Vanilla Yogurt Creme (not to be confused with the Vanilla Creme)
- Chocolate Truffle
- Mint Truffle
- Special Dark Strawberry
- Champagne Truffle
- Neapolitan (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors)
- Milk Chocolate Filled with Marshmallow Creme
- Caramel Apple
- Candy Corn
- Pumpkin Spice
- Hot Cocoa Creme
- Candy Cane (Peppermint)
- Chocolate Mint
- Dark Raspberry
- Milk Chocolate Filled with Strawberry Creme
- Chocolate Meltaway (Milk Chocolate with velvety smooth chocolate center)
- Irish Creme (milk chocolate filled with irish creme)
[edit] Wrapper varieties
Hershey's Kisses were originally wrapped in silver foil, and were only available in this color for decades. 1962 marked the first year that Kisses were available in different colored foil wrappers: red, green, and silver-wrapped candies were manufactured to coincide with the Christmas season. In 1968, pastel blue, pink, and green wrappers were introduced for Easter, and in 1986, Valentine's Day-themed wrappers of red and silver were introduced. Xs and Os have also appeared on pink and red wrappers as well as little red hearts on silver wrappers for Valentine’s Day. "Fall Harvest" colors were introduced in 1991. 4th of July has silver with red stripes and blue-starred wrappers. Pink wrappers with "ribbons" on them to support breast cancer have also appeared. Camouflage wrappers are also available, primarily on military bases. Dark Chocolate Kisses come in a deep purple wrapper. The Halloween themed Candy Corn Kisses come in a wrapper whose colors imitate the color of a candy corn with yellow, white and orange stripes swirling around the candy, that also imitates the color pattern. The Christmas themed Candy Cane Kisses also come in a wrapper whose colors imitate the color pattern (red stripes and white chocolate). The standard silver (for regular) and gold (for Almonds) wrappers are available year-round. Hershey is introducing new pastel-coloured wrappers with white polka dots for the upcoming Easter season. This created controversy within the organization because many workers and environmentalists have requested a more environmentally-friendly packaging. This would have eliminated the aluminum wrapping, and replaced it with biodegradable materials. This was supposed to be rolled out April 1st, 2009.
[edit] Paper Plume
In addition to the standard "Hershey's" paper plume and the special variety plumes (such as "cheesecake") special messages have been available for various occasions, including:
[edit] Valentine's Day
- A Kiss for You
- Happy Valentine
[edit] Special Occasions
- Just Married
- It's a Boy
- It's a Girl
[edit] References
- ^ Brenner, Joël Glenn (2000). The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey & Mars. Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-0457-5.
- ^ HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Chocolates - Products - Everyday Favorites
