While I don’t hate Hershey’s, all it tok was my english roommate to introduce me to Flake to realize how inferior it is.
Ive grown up eating Cadburys UK choclate and I didnt notice that much of a difference between it and Hersheys.
That being said Lindt and Galaxy chocolate are soo much nicer!
Anyone ever hear of the Henry bar? Who makes it?
Yes, it’s gritty, compared to quality chocolate. OR maybe a better way to say it is, it’s not as smooth as really good chocolate, where is feels silky and gives no resistance in the mouth. Hershey’s is definitely an inferior chocolate in both flavor and texture. There’s really no denying it. That’s not to say people can’t like and enjoy it for what it is, but what it is… ain’t Godiva or Lindt or Ghirardelli.
I grew up near the Hershey factory in Oakdale, California and used to go on the tours. They give out fresh candy and it was sublime.
Seems to be plenty of folks denying it in this very thread.
There’s chocolate and then there’s chocolate. I dont’ mind a Hershey with Almonds bar, but dislike plain Hershey’s. I do like H in s’mores (a summer ritual over here), but not for anything else. Hershey choc chips are also bad for choc chip cookies, IMO. There is a graininess to it, but also a waxiness, too.
I have found that chocolate in Europe (or at least UK) is not as sweet, but is smoother and melts more in the mouth–perhaps a reflection of the butterfat content? Or the conching?
But when I need chocolate–I’ll take Hershey’s, if nothing else is available. What I won’t take is Godiva or Fannie Mae etc–I dislike fruit filling/ liquer and chocolate together.
And the sales figures are pretty persuasive as well. Same with Bud. It’s pretty easy to look down your nose at them and say it’s for the people who don’t know any better, but it’s wicked popular and they make lots of money selling it. Both companies know their market and sell to it.
Pepper Mill agrees with you about the grittiness of Hershey’s (but not about the taste – she likes it), and suggested I try some of her Mother’s Day Hershey’s kisses alongside Dove promises.
So I did.
I swear that I don’t taste any grittiness – even with Hershey’s kisses, supposedly the worst of the lot.
Like I said, if Hershey’s were French, people would be aspiring to acquire a palate for it. And those who appreciated it would be snobs for it.
She doesn’t just quote rivals. She reports that the process Milton Hershey developed to condense milk (milk must be condensed before it can be mixed with chocolate) does, indeed, allow “the lipase enzymes in the milk to break down the remaining milk fat and produce flavorful free fatty acids. In other words, it was slightly soured.” (p. 109) Milton Hershey may never have noticed the problem; by the time he retired his sense of taste was shot (his staff realized this, if he didn’t), and no one knows how early the deterioration began.
Brenner’s book should be read by all chocolate freaks.
Oh, and I like Hershey bars, too. Even knowing they’re made with sour milk, I like them. De gustibus non est disputandum, and if there’s room in the world for coffee and chile peppers (both of which I loathe), there’s room for sour chocolate. If it was introduced as a new product by some high-end chocolatier it would probably be hailed as “piquant” and “provocative”.
I’m so easily influenced I had to go out and get a beautiful bloomless classic Hershey’s bar after reading this and relish my fortune of American bred taste buds.
I must admit, its signature twang does get a bit trying by the end of the bar. Maybe they should sell half-sizes somewhere.
What the hell is wrong with Hershey’s? As many others have said before I came here, it’s American. “Everyone” knows Americans have no taste for the gourmet. If it were Swiss or French, people would be paying umpteen dollars per bar for it’s “piquant” taste.
Or maybe the problem is Hershey’s doesn’t charge enough. The price seems to be what convinces some people that a chocolate is première quality. I present Noka Chocolates as an example.
I don’t see how they can. Maybe it’s not gritty like sand in the mouth, but it’s got a clay/dirt feel to it. Empirically, it’s not as smooth in the mouth as better quality chocolates. I’d imagine it was quantifiable somehow, but that’s out of my area. Hershey’s is better than those hollow chocolate Easter bunnies and stuff like that, but it’s 55 cents a bar and doesn’t taste as good as the higher-quality stuff made with better ingredients. You get what you pay for.
I’m not saying it can’t be enjoyed if you like the texture and taste. It’s a matter of preference. I use them for s’mores, but I wouldn’t sit down and eat one, because to me, it’s not eatin’ chocolate. I’d rather pay more for better flavor and texture.
Hersey’s chocolate is made with sour milk, hence the flavor.
Honest question, to which I’d appreciate an honest answer:
Surely (heh) you’d consumed a Hershey bar or two in your youth and young adulthood, before you’d met these folks. I’m also assuming you’re an adult now. Before these comments were made by your friends, how’d you feel about the simple run of the mill Hershey bar?
Also, to anyone caliming it, is there any actual evidence that Hershey uses sour milk in there product? Wouldn’t the milk “sour” through the heating process in all chocolates? I’m not necessarily disputing the claim, I’m just having a hard time swallowing it, unlike some of you and a Hershey bar…
Thanks in advance.
[Hijack]Best candy bar ever: Three Musketeers. And it’s nice and big to boot! What more do you want out of a candy bar? Not only that, the local Safeway has them on sale, 3 for $.99 through tuesday. Get 'em while they last.[/Hijack]
I think whoever said something about the texture of your common- or garden- variety Hershey Bar was right on: it’s weird, and I don’t like it. I don’t mind the almond versions, however, and Hershey’s Kisses are all right with me, as they seem to be a bit firmer than the standard bar.
The gold standard for commercial chocolate bars for me, however, is Cote d’Or, natch, especially the hazelnut variety. Every time I go to Europe (which this year, looks to be several times) I stock up.
Pshaw. The only Hershey plant I knew about for a long time was the Canadian one. Were I to be the sort of person to be favourably inclined towards a food based on its origin, then I’d like Hershey. I’m not, and the stuff is horrible.
This isn’t about sociology; it’s just about what tastes good and what doesn’t; Hershey chocolate falls into the second category.
Well, I’ve been to the original Hershey Factory in Hershey, PA, and to the original Cadbury factory in Birmingham, UK. To me, a fresh-off-the-line Hershey bar was still ‘meh’. Not really good enough to justify the calories. A fresh UK Cadbury Dairy Milk bar was utterly brilliant. The best chocolate i’ve had anywhere.
Apparently, in addition to the ingredients added to prolong shelf life in North America, in the UK, they are allowed to have more milk ingredients in there, and still call it chocolate.
And let me say, getting access to the Cadbury employee store was a happy time. 200g bars of dairy milks for 20p, one could easily go a little nuts.
Wha?! It’s just a log of puffy brown stuff covered with a thin veneer of solid chocolate. It feels like a cheap dupe.