I cover plenty of international products. But this is definitely the first time I’ll be covering American recreations of international versions of a popular American product. Today, I’ve got four different Hershey’s Kisses based on popular variants from around the globe. What a mouthful. These are exclusive to Hershey’s online store and Hershey’s far-and-few retail shops (like Hershey’s Chocolate World in Times Square, where I picked these up alongside those weird cookie-filled Reese’s Pieces). It’s Valentine’s in September because it’s time to Kiss.
Pros: Per the brand, these chocolates are “filled with a strawberry flavored crème that’s beloved in Asia & the Middle East.” The strawberry creme is definitely firmer than the jelly-esque filling in those Dracula Kisses. Believe it or not, these strawberry chocolates are good!
Cons: These are good, but not $10-a-pack good. We have multiple kinds of strawberry-filled Kisses here in the States; I’m not sure what differentiates this from the reliably available Valentine’s/Halloween Strawberry Kisses. Is it that they’re available year-round sans theming?
Pros: These hazelnut Kisses also come from Asia and the Middle East. These are actually unique; barring a “Deluxe” line that I haven’t seen on shelves in years, we have not been blessed with Hershey’s Hazelnut Kisses here in the States. That’s a shame since this feels like a solid chunk of Nutella in all the best ways.
Cons: I love these because they basically have the same recipe as the American Hershey’s Ice Cream Shoppe Chocolate Hazelnut bar. Y’all, I checked the nutritional facts; the only difference I can see is the quantity of hazelnut bits to chocolate. Am I being pranked?
Pros: Oh, these are fantastic. If any of these are going to be upgraded to standard availability here in the USA, this flavor gets my vote. The creamy, coffee-tastic filling has me fighting not to kill the whole bag in one sitting. This has a quality beyond what I expect from Hershey’s.
Cons: Per the product listing, this Hershey Kiss is “filled with Café Moka, an invigorating flavor inspired by Africa.” Inspired by Africa…but it’s available in Latin America. Confusing!
Credit: Liv Averett / Hershey’s
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Chocolate Truffle
Hershey’s Flavors of the World Chocolate Truffle Kisses
Pros: These Latin American-sourced Kisses are good.
Cons: Of course, they’re good! They’re Hershey’s Kisses with a “meltaway center” of even more chocolate, which sounds a lot like Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Meltaway Kisses, which have been sold in America for years! Moka is the only flavor out of the lineup that you can’t actually get a hold of here in the States; this chocolate city is built on lies.
Credit: Liv Averett / Hershey’s
Rating:
8/10
Sporks
Which international Hershey’s Kisses flavor do you want to try most?
Griffin Parker is a writer, "influencer", and generally very-busy person based in Columbus, Ohio. He's sacrificed countless hours in the pursuit of ranking Lindt Lindor truffles, HI-CHEW candies, and more. When he's not writing for Sporked or running @SodaSeekers, you can find Griffin espousing the virtues of Dayton-style pizza, Cincinnati-style chili, and Dolly Parton's Fabulously Double Fudge Brownie Mix.
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