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The Chocolate Goddess is devoted to researching and validating the reasons for all of our chocolate passions.  There is good in every chocolate but which chocolate to choose is a complex decision now more than ever contemporary chocolates are offered in a wide range of cacao liquor content, flavorings, sugar content and cost.

Sometimes the most satisfying of all chocolate is the chocolate of that reminds us of happy childhood memories. It is that chocolate that when presented to us put smiles on our faces.  Admit it; Hershey’s kisses do make you smile.  It is Hershey taste that true Americans are familiar with, but there is more to the Hershey’s chocolate kiss than meets the mouth, there is an underlying reason why they are so successful.

Milton Hershey was a chocolate genius. He realized the psychological implications of the way chocolate made one feel.  He knew what a reward chocolate is, how it lifted the spirit. Hershey knew it makes us feel appreciated, content and loved. What better name then to describe the mouth size, smooth, little burst of chocolate love than as a kiss?

Some people ascribe to the notion that the kiss was named because of the smooching sound the chocolate makes as it is deposited on the conveyor belt during the manufacturing process.  After exploring more about Milton Hershey, his philanthropy and kind temperament, The Chocolate Goddess is convinced there was more of a purpose to the name.

The famous tissue paper plume waving the name Hershey was introduced in 1921 because there were so many attempting to duplicate the product.  Although kisses were only milk chocolate originally, Hershey’s later capitalized on the line and developed Hugs that are milk and white chocolate in silver and brown striped foil, kisses with almonds, dark chocolate kisses, caramel filled kisses and many more.

Once exclusively wrapped in silver foil, kisses are now no sold in holiday themed colors.  There are red and pink foils for Valentine’s Day, silver red and green foils for Christmas, fall colored for Halloween and Thanksgiving time.  There are also striped foils for the hugs and Hershey is contemplating a polka dot foil for next spring

Since 1907 kiss after kiss comes off the conveyor belt in a never ending stream. Today 60 million kisses a day are made to accommodate our need for a bite of love and affection.  To Hershey a kiss was molded chocolate love – you can have a kiss on your lips any time you want or need one.

-Barbara Esatto, The Chocolate Goddess