To wonder if Americans actually like hersheys chocolate

[OfstedOffred]

Colleague returned from a trip to the states and brought various sweets back including Hershey chocolate.

I tried a bit and it tastes terrible. I mean really. I have a sweet tooth so can cope with how sugary it is but there's a weird sicky flavour I can't place.

Is this how Americans like chocolate? Or is it just that international brands maybe don't get imported there or are expensive?

It hasnt gone down well at work. Huge bag and after everyone tried it once no one went back for more

Yep, I hate it too. The only American candy I actually like are Milk Duds and Swedish Fish. Reese's cups are ok in small doses and only if I'm in the right mood.

I was so excited when I saw Hersheys in a shop in the UK, because it was one of those things I’d seen on American TV and always wanted to try.

Oh, how my dreams were crushed. 😂
It tastes like sick.

Surely not all American chocolate is sicky, though. I also got some types of pop tarts that we don’t normally have here (I think it was Cookie flavour and chocolate brownies) and they didn’t taste like sick.

Can't remember the documentary but there was a BBC doc which covered this. Apparently our taste buds to choc vary across the pond and yes to our taste buds it would taste bitter and vomity! There were several variations

Getting them

It is in no way comparable to red wine. Red wine is delicious.

The sour milk thing was originally a screw up but the customers liked it and so it made it into the original recipe. These days it contains butyric acid instead which is one of the acids found in the stomach hence the vom vibe. IME Americans seem to like it, when I lived out there my work used to give out company branded Hershey bars and they were surprisingly popular.

It's nasty with a weird stretchy texture and far too much sugar. Barely even qualifies as 'chocolate'. In the US, chocolate only legally has to have a minimum of 10% cocoa solids, half that of the UK.

Badalmond

I loved milk duds too but apparently they are discontinued
I dont understand why

I aim to please! I hate it too - but I often travel to the US so I couldn’t work out why it was so disgusting until I googled it!

I have a few American colleagues who get sent tonnes of US candy by relatives for Easter and Halloween. One of them hosts a kids’ Halloween party each year, and doles out literal buckets of the stuff. My kid absolutely hates the “American sweets” and we end up with bags of them we can’t get rid of. They really are a shock compared to sweets here, which are all sold on how natural their ingredients are and how they’re flavoured with beetroot juice extract or whatever.

US sweets have “ARTIFICIAL FLAVORING!” stamped all over them on big letters, which is 😮 to a U.K. parent 🤣

I always thought it was carob in it, maybe I qas wrong. I do like Hersheys Cookies and Cream though.

This explains so much. I got some mint cookie Hershey's before Christmas and it was rank. I thought it had gone off.
I have had Kisses and Cookies n Creme bars quite a few years ago and liked them.

Omg Hershey’s -gross 🤮 We were so disappointed.
Mind you there’s an Italian chocolatier in San Fransisco (Ghirardelli) which is sooo good -so I assume not all Americans think Hershey’s is edible!

I'm not even a snob about chocolate and I'm partial to cheap chocolate, I have a bit of a sweet tooth. But I tried Hershey's once when a friend brought some back from the US, and it just tasted completely off so I didn't have any more. And then some time later I heard how it's made and why it tastes like that, and so I knew it wasn't just a dud bar and I won't be trying it again. Waste of bloody calories!

Yes, it tastes of vomit and they like it that way. I suppose it's a question of expectation - they grow up eating it and to them it's just a familiar tang in the overall flavour.

It is horrifying to the non-american palate though.

[quote nightwakingmoon]Info and why here:

www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/butyric-acid/1017662.article[/quote]
I had to show my husband this; amazing! I did know Hersey's taste like vomit, but couldn't for the life of me understand why!! I was baffles as to why this was the intended taste; now I understand!

Yeah Hershey’s is disgusting. I have family who now live n the states and there greatest treat is when people visit from UK and taken them British chocolate items. Although my sister in law is visiting UK just now and brought us a lovely selection of American Oreos, M&MS and Chips Ahoy cookies…..yummy!!!!

*Their greatest treat that should say.

There are three basics - Hersheys, Nestles, and Reeses chocolates that are available everywhere.
There there is the "step above" - Ghiradelli, Toblerone, etc. better but pricey.
Imported chocolate is expensive. I like Fry's orange cream bars but I have to pay order them online and pay $2.50 /bar. The same with the UK Cadbury's like Whispa and Flake. Only available through post.

totally agree with @Georgie8

these are delicious, especially the raspberry

the-chocolate-emporium.com/collections/ghirardelli-chocolate-squares/products/ultimate-ghirardelli-squares-collection-20-varieties

Yes it's horrible. It's down to the melting point. As the US is much larger and chocolate has to be transported much further it's less melt in the mouth than UK chocolate. Mind you ours is being spoilt by palm oil.....

@Bouledeneige

Yes it's horrible. It's down to the melting point. As the US is much larger and chocolate has to be transported much further it's less melt in the mouth than UK chocolate. Mind you ours is being spoilt by palm oil.....

Pretty sure they have refrigerated trucks in the US?

There was an interesting documentary about taste and preferences a few years ago. From memory, a Japanese palate likes pickled/vinegary flavours and their desserts aren't that 'sweet' to a British palate. Scandinavian countries apparently prefer salty flavours such as their salty licorice- which I don't like. It also talked about the difference with American vs British/European chocolate flavours.

I first tried Hersheys age 8 when I lived abroad for several years. I still cant stand it.

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking Hershey's is awful. I don't think I could ever get used to the taste.

The one American chocolate/candyvthat I love is Williams Sonoma peppermint bark. Got gifted some one Christmas by a relative and was hooked. Was over the pond a few years ago and did bring some home but was kicking myself that I didn't bring more. Mind you it wasn't cheap.

Hersheys cookies and cream is delicious! The milk chocolate is horrible though I agree.

I've never eaten Hershey chocolate because I've heard various people over the years say it's crap. I suppose someone must like it.