Hershey’s Chocolate Bar
The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, often shortened to just the “Hershey Bar”, is the major chocolate bar produced by the Hershey Company. The Hershey Bar was first sold in 1900 with the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds variety beginning production in 1908. A circular version of the milk chocolate bar called Hershey’s Drops was released in 2010.
Raised in rural central Pennsylvania, farm boy Milton Hershey would never have even dreamed that he would someday both touch the lives of thousands and become of the most famous chocolate producers in the world. It was in the year 1894 that candy manufacturer Milton Hershey made the decision to try adding chocolate coating to his caramels. Calling this new enterprise the Hershey Chocolate Company, he located it near the area he had been born, amid the rolling farmland of Derry Township, PA. By the summer of 1905, with the milk from nearby dairy farms and the spirit of hard-working local people, his new factory started turning out milk chocolate.
The Hershey processed milk chocolate used in these bars is actually cheaper to make than that of other chocolates, as it is markedly less sensitive to the freshness of the milk used in the recipe. The process was developed by Milton Hershey himself, and was the very first mass-produced chocolate in the U.S. As a result, the Hershey flavor is widely recognized in the U.S. and Canada, but less so around the world, especially in areas where European chocolates are more widely available. The process is a trade secret, but experts speculate that the milk is stabilized from further fermentation. The compounds made to create this effect a sour, tangy taste to which the US public has become accustomed. The American bar’s taste profile was not as popular with the Canadian public, leading Hershey to introduce a reformulated Canadian bar in 1983. The company describes the revised Canadian formulation as a “creamier, smoother, lighter colored and milder flavored product more suitable to Canadian taste.” The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar is the only 45 pound chocolate bar, costing $44.99 on the Hershey’s website.
The Review
It comes as no surprise to learn that the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar is one of the top 3 bestselling candies in America. When a food has such an appetizing appearance, unique aroma, and, of course, peerless taste as Milton Hershey’s amazing chocolate bar does, there’s no doubt that it’s a winner.
One of the most impressive things about the renowned treat is its delicious appearance. While it’s true that you can’t normally judge a book by its cover, you can certainly judge a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar by its exterior. Even before you see the candy, you feel impressed by the look. The simple, slim-cut wrapper oozes style and prestige, and will have you salivating from the moment you see it. From here, it only gets better. The bar itself is the same rich, brown rectangle repeated over and over again, with the HERSHEY’S emblem imprinted in each one. When the look of a candy bar is this impressive, there can be no doubt that the candy bar is going to be delicious!
Of course, there’s far more to candy than the look. Simply by sniffing the candy, you are struck with an overwhelming sense of euphoria, one that can only be induced by a flavor as awe-inspiring as a Hershey’s Chocolate Bar! It’s an astoundingly rich smell, heavy and incredibly hunger inducing. The smell matches the flavor of the candy exactly, a rather uncommon occurrence when it comes to candy. Normally, the scent is different from the actual taste, but it is different in this case. As wonderful as it is, the smell of a Hershey’s Chocolate Bar is merely a foretaste of the greatness that is to come…
Last and greatest of the many wonderful things about the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar is the flavor. A taste as delicious as this is unparalleled in any other chocolate bar, a factor that you’ll be aware of the moment it enters your mouth. It’s a quite sweet, and yet, not too much so. It would not be difficult to go overboard on the level of sweetness, but it’s the perfect balance of sweet and bitter. But what really puts this candy over the edge is its texture. It’s soft and pliable to the touch, yet offers resistance to your bite. As all the best candies do, Hershey’s melts in your mouth quickly, but not so quick as to prevent you from enjoying it. The taste of a Hershey’s is truly amazing, and it’s very easy to see why it’s the most popular candy bar in America.
Hershey’s is one awesome treat. It might not be the fanciest, or the healthiest, or the cheapest, but it still rises above the rest. Maybe it’s the flavor, or the texture, or even the appearance! No matter what it is, Hershey’s has created an amazing food, and one that is- in my opinion- the best around. A+
The Competition!
Part One: Kraft’s Milka!
I’ll say this (and not much else) in support of Kraft: they do their best to cover a whole range of foods. As a onetime fan of Kraft Mac and Cheese, I made the awful mistake of assuming that Milka, Kraft’s cheap attempt to match the popularity of Hershey’s, would be even remotely good. I soon learned the error of my ways. At first glance, Milka is actually quite good. It’s a light brown color, and has certain “cuteness” to its tiny little squares. It even smelled surprisingly appetizing. The horror strikes in when you actually sink your teeth into this ungodly little morsel. It has a truly nightmarish taste, combining cow feces and rotten milk into a single deceptively tasty looking square. If the devil has a chocolate counterpart, then it’s Milka. D-
Part Two: Mars’ Dove!
Mars may be most well-known for its patented Mars Bars and M&M’s, but there’s an undeniable charm to Dove milk chocolate. It doesn’t look like anything special, just a small square of chocolate, but it gets better from there. Dove smells quite a bit like a classier version of Hershey’s, which makes sense: You can get two Hershey’s for the price of one Dove. The candy itself melts rather quickly (you have been warned!) even in your hand, and it’s not the type that you ought to leave in your pocket for a day and a half. But what made me most excited was the taste. It’s far, far bitterer than Hershey’s, which is extremely sweet, and honestly? That’s a good thing! Overall, I highly recommend Dove, as long as you’ve got the cash to spend on it. A-
Part Three: Cadbury!
It comes as absolutely no surprise to find that Cadbury makes one fine chocolate. Most famous for their Easter themed “Cadbury Eggs”, the candy company once again proves their worth when it comes to chocolate. Once you get past the bland appearance, the milk chocolate reveals its true worth. It has a nice, rather rough texture, and is not likely to melt quickly. That’s a HUGE bonus, considering how annoying it is when your chocolate melts to nothing in your hand. It also smells quite similar to how it tastes, which is divine. All in all, Cadbury creates a nice experience once again, earning its place high in the chocolate charts. A