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Hershey's Kisses

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Original milk chocolate Hershey's Kisses with Cherry Cordial Creme Filled Kisses

Hershey's Kisses is a brand 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 chocolates are wrapped in squares of lightweight aluminum foil with a narrow strip of paper protruding from the top.

History

Old Hershey Kisses ad

The Hershey Kisses were first introduced in 1907. It is believed that the candy was named Kisses because of the sound and motion made by machine while depositing the chocolate. At first, the Hershey Kisses were wrapped by hand, but in 1921, a machine was made so the Kisses would be wrapped automatically. Brothers Walter, Howard and Raymond Phillippy made improvements, such as devices to reject misshapen Kisses and position unwrapped candies upright. This is also when the plume was added. In 1924, Milton S. Hershey received a registered trademark for the plume. During 1942, production of Hershey Kisses was briefly interrupted due to the rationing of aluminum foil. Instead, the machines were used to create chocolate paste for the soldiers in World War II. In 1976, the Kiss received a registered trademark for the foil wrapper. Kisses are one of the most popular brands of candies in the US. In 1989, the chocolate drops were the 5th most popular chocolate brand in the United States, spawning sales that topped $400 million. More than 60 million Hershey's Kisses chocolates are produced each day at the company's two factories. Today's Kisses brand chocolates use Hershey's original milk chocolate formula.

In 2005 Hershey's Kissables were introduced as a smaller sized, candy coated version of Kisses chocolates. They were discontinued in 2009.

Kisses Brand varieties

Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolates filled with caramel.

Though originally made of solely milk chocolate, many variations of the Kisses brand of chocolates and candies have since been introduced. Hershey introduces and discontinues new flavors constantly. As of January 2013, some of the flavors available throughout the year include:[1]

United States & Canada

  • Milk Chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate with almond
  • Filled with Caramel
  • Special Dark mildly sweet chocolates (dark chocolate)
  • Cherry Cordial
  • Mint Truffle
  • Milk Chocolate with macadamia nuts (only in Hawaii and company store in Hershey, PA)
  • Cookies and Creme (milk chocolate with oreo-like cookie bits)
  • Candy Cane (peppermint flavored white chocolate with red nonpareils)
  • Hugs (white chocolate with strips of milk chocolate)
  • Pumpkin Spice
  • Coconut Creme
  • Air Delight (aerated Milk Chocolate)
  • Birthday Cake (candy with colored cookies and birthday cake flavor)
  • Kisses Deluxe (Hazelnut center)

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)
  • Milk Chocolate (Found Everywhere but Ireland)

Limited time only

  • Chocolate Mint
  • Double Fudge (fudge flavored chocolate, called "ice cream" flavored kisses - not same as double chocolate fudge)
  • Double Chocolate Fudge (dark on bottom, milk chocolate on top - may be the same as "double chocolate")
  • Double Chocolate (dark and milk chocolate - called kisses "layers" - may be the same as "double chocolate fudge")
  • Milk Chocolate and vanilla (white on top, milk on bottom -called kisses "layers")
  • Dulce de Leche (white chocolate caramel filled)
  • Dark Chocolate Cherry Cordial Crème Filled
  • Strawberry Crème (white chocolate strawberry flavored-no filling. Originally called "ice cream" flavored kisses)
  • Orange Crème (white chocolate orange flavored-no filling)
  • Coconut Crème (milk chocolate with coconut crème filling)
  • Dark Chocolate with Almonds
  • Extra Creamy with Toffee & Almond
  • Chocolate Truffle (chocolate "truffle" filling wrapped in dark chocolate)
  • Candy Cane (peppermint flavored white chocolate with crunchy nonpareils)
  • Special Dark Macadamia Nut [Mauna Loa]
  • Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nut
  • Special Dark Espresso -flavored
  • Special Dark Coffee -flavored
  • Caramel Crème (white chocolate caramel flavored)
  • Crunchy Caramel Crème (white chocolate caramel flavored with crunchy candy bits)
  • Dark Chocolate Raspberry -flavored
  • Dark Chocolate Strawberry -flavored
  • Dark Chocolate Orange -flavored
  • Extra Creamy
  • Neapolitan (white, pink, chocolate)
  • Confetti (white chocolate with small candy sprinkles)
  • Chocolate Malt Crunch (malt flavored milk chocolate with crunchy candy bits)
  • Vanilla Crème (milk chocolate with a white vanilla flavored crème filling)
  • Candy Corn (white chocolate)
  • New York Cheesecake (extra creamy milk chocolate with cheesecake flavored crème filling)
  • Toffee flavored Crunch (extra creamy toffee flavored milk chocolate with crunchy nonpareils)
  • Hot Cocoa Crème (milk chocolate with hot cocoa crème filling)
  • Mint Truffle (dark chocolate filled with a green "peppermint pattie" flavored mint crème)
  • Chocolate Marshmallow (milk chocolate made to taste like marshmallow)
  • Trio (milk and dark chocolates drizzled with white crème)
  • Champagne Truffle (champagne flavored chocolate "truffle" filling wrapped in dark chocolate- sold in plastic champagne bottle)
  • Crème de Menthe (filled and wrapped in dark chocolate –may be same as Mint Truffle)
  • Lemon Crème (white chocolate lemon flavored – no filling)
  • Vanilla Yogurt Crème (milk chocolate vanilla yogurt crème filling)
  • Cookies n' Crème (white chocolate with crunchy nonpareils) –not same bits as in Europe
  • Milk Chocolate filled with Marshmallow Crème
  • Pumpkin Spice (chocolate-like candy filled will pumpkin pie flavored filling).
  • Caramel Apple (milk chocolate filled with apple flavored caramel).
  • Milk Chocolate filled with Strawberry Crème
  • Chocolate Meltaway (Milk Chocolate with velvety smooth chocolate center)
  • Irish Crème (Milk Chocolate filled with Irish crème)
  • Milk Chocolate filled with Buttercrème
  • Mauna Loa
  • Carrot Cake

Wrapper varieties

Hershey's Kisses chocolates were originally wrapped in silver-colored foil, and were only available in this single color for decades. 1962 marked the first year that Kisses chocolates 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. Independence Day has silver with red stripes and blue-starred wrappers. Pink wrappers with "ribbons" on them to support breast cancer research have also appeared. Camouflage wrappers are also available, primarily on military bases. Kisses Dark Chocolates come in a deep purple wrapper. The Halloween themed Kisses Candy Corn candies come in a wrapper whose colors imitate the color of a candy corn with yellow, white and orange stripes swirling around the candy. The Christmas themed Kisses Candy Cane candies also come in a wrapper whose colors imitate the color pattern (red stripes and white chocolate). There are also wrappers called Kissmas sweaters that resemble knit Christmas sweaters. The original silver (for regular) and gold (for Almonds) wrappers are available year-round.

Hershey is introducing new pastel-colored 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, which would have eliminated the aluminum wrapping and replaced it with biodegradable materials. This was supposed to be rolled out on April 1, 2009.[citation needed]

Paper plume

In addition to the standard "Kisses®" paper plume and the special variety plumes (such as "cheesecake"), special messages have been available for various occasions, including:

Seasonal

  • A Kiss for You
  • Happy Valentine
  • Happy Holidays
  • Hugs
  • Love You
  • Merry Christmas

Packaging varieties

  • Chinese New Year Gift Box - contains gold and red wrapped kisses

Advertising

"Christmas Bells" is a commercial in which Hershey's Kisses, fashioned as a handbell choir, perform the Christmas carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". It premiered in 1989 and has run each holiday season since in the United States; it is the longest-running television commercial for the Hershey brand.[2]

Criticism

Kisses with almonds, Kisses hugs, Kisses with caramel & Kisses cookies 'n' creme are made with the controversial ingredient PGPR (Polyglycerol polyricinoleate, E476),[3] which is used as a replacement for cocoa butter.[4]

References

  1. ^ "HERSHEY'S - Error". hersheys.com.
  2. ^ "Ringing in the Holidays: Hershey's Kisses Chocolates". HersheyArchives.com. January 18, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  3. ^ "Kisses with almonds (click on icons at URL for other Kisses varieties)". thehersheycompany.com.
  4. ^ "Manufacturers overlook cocoa butter savings" (PDF).
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