XOXO...Chocolate Girl (Hershey's Kisses)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Hershey's Kisses
Date:	14/05/09 (106 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: So many varieties

Disadvantages: Some are hard to find

Imagine a world where they sell individually wrapped chocolate buttons. You want a taste of chocolate, but you're trying to stick to a diet, it's nearly dinner time, or for whatever reason you don't want a full chocolate bar. Wouldn't that be a great solution? Well, in Mexico I have something that comes close to this. I can buy individual Hershey's Kisses from convenience stores here, and often take advantage of this to sneak in some chocolate during my day, without feeling guilty.

Hershey's introduced the original Kisses in 1907, and rumour has it that the name comes from the sound the machine made as it plopped them out onto the conveyor belt. Since then, a huge number of varieties have been developed, either for permanent sale or limited time promotions. More than 80 million Kisses are made in the two Hershey factories every single day. That's a whole lot of chocolate. And, according to a survey, more than half of Americans would choose an unlimited supply of Kisses over their favourite book if stranded indefinitely on a desert island. If you go to Hershey World in Pennsylvania (what...you're surprised I've been?) there is an activity where you can package up Kisses and imagine what it would be like to work in the factory there. In the town of Hershey, the street lights are shaped like kisses. In the visitor's centre, there's also a 3D film where they rain down from the ceiling at the end. *Sigh* That was a good weekend...

Hershey's Kisses come individually wrapped, even if you buy them in multipacks. This doesn't make me feel good when I have my environmentalist hat on, but I appreciate it when I want to buy them individually. They are wrapped in foil of different colours for different flavours - the originals in silver, almond ones in a bronze colour, purple for dark chocolate and so on. Unlike many small, individually wrapped goodies, however (case in point, the yummy but fiddly Lindt Lindor Mini Eggs) these are extremely easy to get into thanks to the paper strip 'plume' at the top of the Kiss - you pull on this and the foil comes away easily. Kind of like a 'tap and unwrap' Chocolate Orange, except this actually works 100% of the time.

Kisses have a unique shape which doesn't vary with the variety. They are shaped like teardrops, but have a flat bottom, so they can be stood up, arranged in patterns and so on. The typical size ones are just a few cm tall, but other sizes are available. The chocolate is generally smooth without any marks or indents, and has a matt, not glossy finish. There are numerous products in the Kisses range, but here are some of my favourites:

THE ORIGINALS - as in the small sized, milk chocolate kisses. These are what I buy most often, and though the flavour is bitter compared to European chocolate, you have to understand that the other choices here are Lindt (imported from Switzerland, v. expensive) or Cadburys (made in Canada, doesn't taste like it should). While American chocolate is an acquired taste, I do seem to have acquired it, and will now quite happily eat my way through a bag of these, when I'm not buying them one at a time of course. I like the shape of the chocolates, as the top part is much thinner and therefore melts easily, but the base is thicker and therefore can be bitten into. These are good at room temperature or from the fridge (they're not so thick they'll break your teeth) but if they sit in the sun too long they make a mess of the foil wrapper as they begin to melt. NB: the paper plumes do not taste good, so do try not to eat them accidentally. These come in small bags (36g, so about one helping) or larger ones for sharing (or not). Interestingly, the official website says a serving of Kisses is about 9 chocolates, or 41g, so the Mexican bags are on the small size.

These ones also come in larger gift sizes in Mexico, from the medium to the massive, with notes on like "Thanks!" or "Congratulations" or "I'm so sorry". My sister left me one after visiting, and it was amazing - a massive, solid lump of chocolate, which somehow seemed massively superior to a regular bar despite being the same weight. It's like the Easter bunny effect - shaped chocolate just tastes SO much better.


EXTRA CREAMY - if normal Hershey's milk chocolate is too bitter for you, I would recommend the Extra Creamy variety, available in bars and, now, Kisses too. This tastes much more like the milk chocolate you would find in the UK, and is, as the name would suggest, very creamy and in no way bitter. These kisses come in cardboard tubes, so you have to buy a few more to enjoy them, but they are well worth it.

ALMOND - while not my favourite flavour, I often find myself with Almond Kisses since some shops here sell 2 packs combining one of these with a milk chocolate Kiss. Individual Kisses cost 1.50 pesos and 2 packs cost 2.50 pesos, so with a staggering 50 cents to be saved, I do sometimes indulge. What I do like about these, however, is that they include a whole almond inside, not nasty tiny almond crumbs, so if I want I can (albeit messily) eat the chocolate off and chuck the almond part.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE - these can be bought in packages of 5 medium sized Kisses in the US and they don't come individually wrapped, sitting instead in a cardboard tube with a plastic wrapper. They also come in the smaller size, individually wrapped, in gift boxes in Mexico, and are divine. They combine a milk chocolate coating with a rich truffle centre and are a more grown up treat rather than every day chocolate. They're not quite on a par with Guylian seashells, but they're a close second for this part of the world.

CANDY CANE - I found these in Costa Rica and haven't seen them elsewhere, but they were so much fun. They combined a white chocolate candy with tiny peppermint granules in a pretty white and pink design, to represent the Candy Canes popular in the USA at Christmas time. They came in a massive bag, but lasted a fair amount of time as they were super sweet.

KISSABLES - these are a newish product in the range, and supposed to be competition for M&Ms I imagine. Kissables are Hershey's Kisses covered in a crisp candy shell, and come in packets or little plastic tubes (like the things people put round their neck with money in while on the beach abroad). They taste nice (if you like M&Ms and, yet again, can tolerate the more bitter variety of milk chocolate) and have the added bonus that they won't melt on you. Plus, the 'crunch' means you feel you're eating something rather than just inhaling the way you might with pure chocolate.

HUGS - the perfect accompaniment for a Kiss (just ask Gossip Girl) these are so called because they combine milk chocolate and white chocolate, with the two 'hugging' each other to make a swirling pattern. I really like these, and fine the sweetness of the white chocolate perfectly complements the bitterness of the milk chocolate.

MINI KISSES - just like regular milk chocolate Kisses in flavour, these are a mini version of the treat and come unwrapped in a 50g bag. They are great for baking with as the smaller size helps them to melt quickly, and are especially good in Betty Crocker brownies.

SNACKSTERS - when I'm on the go and want chocolate without the calories, I turn to these 100 Calorie snack-packs. My favourite variety - the Kisses one - includes mini Kisses, Kissables, cookies and chocolate cereal pieces. Think a chocolaty trail mix, with all the pieces combining to produce a very nice overall crunchy and sweet flavour. For 100 measly calories, what's not to like?


Other flavours I've tried include:

- Caramel (too sweet for me)
- Peanut Butter (not bad, especially if you're a Reece's fan)
- Dark Chocolate (good for the heart...but in flavour not radically different from the milk chocolate ones)
- Mint (yum, and far less sickly sweet than the also minty Candy Cane)


Flavours on my 'to try' list, though some were are limited time only:

- Green Tea
- New York Style Cheesecake
- Orange Creme
- Vanilla Creme
- Lemon Creme
- Coconut Creme
- Trio ones (like the Cadburys bar in Australia that is milk, dark and white chocolate in one)
- Chocolate Marshmallow
- Cookies 'n' Creme
- Vanilla Yogurt Creme
- Dulce de Leche
- Chocolate Meltaway


Flavours on my 'not for me, but someone must buy them' list:

- Cherry Cordial
- Special Dark Strawberry
- Candy Corn
- Pumpkin Spice
- Dark Espresso
- Caramel Apple
- Dark Raspberry
- Champagne Truffle
- Neapolitan (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors)


(For more info and pictures see: http://www.lauracarey.com/kisses )


So, after all that, the verdict? My all time favourite thing about Kisses is that they really push the boat out in terms of flavours. Ever notices how most bars eventually end up with dark chocolate, mint and orange flavours? Just look at the list above to see how far beyond those Kisses go. I love that there is always a new variety to try (and, to be fair, most European pallets will find this sort of chocolate nicer when it's combined with a filling of some sort). I love the shape of them, the way they're always perfectly formed and wrapped, and the sheer novelty factor of asking someone if they want a Kiss (not that it happens often, mind. I'm not that kind of girl - y'know, the kind who shares her chocolate). Most of all, I love that I can get a decent chocolate kick for a mere 25 calories / 7p (the Milk variety). With prices ranging from said 7p to over £10 for gift sets, there truly is a variety, and a flavour, to suit all tastes.

In the UK, the more standard varieties can be found in many specialist food shops (think Selfridges food hall and similar) while eBay currently has a massive range of the more obscure flavours, and Cybercandy.co.uk is always a good bet for imported products. As for me, I'm coming home in July, stopping in Canada on the way, and am already drooling, thinking about what their supermarkets and the airport might have in store for me, Kisses wise.

You know I love them.

XOXO...Chocolate Girl




For more information:

http://www.hersheys.com/kisses/products/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hershey's_Kisses

Summary: Who wants a Kiss?