Hershey’s Kisses are one of the most iconic foods in America. They’re available in more than 100 countries and are considered a delicacy by some people. But what if the size of a classic chocolate kiss has changed over the years?
It would be unusual since Hershey’s is one of the most community-minded companies that wouldn’t upset their loyal fan base. In today’s article, we will speculate whether Hershey’s kisses have gotten smaller. Let’s dive in!
Invention of the Kiss
The Hershey’s Kiss was invented in 1907. It’s the first product to use the word “kiss,” and quickly became an international sensation, but it wasn’t until 1928 that this confectionary treat began its transformation from a promotional item into an actual candy bar with all its own unique characteristics. In fact, if you look closely at your typical Hershey’s Kiss today (or even just glance at them), it may not seem like much has changed since they were first introduced!
Are Hershey’s Kisses Smaller Now?
According to Hershey’s official site, the size of a Hershey’s Kiss has not changed in more than 100 years and will remain the same size until further notice. The current version is approximately 1-inch in diameter, and there is no evidence that it has ever been smaller than this.
But given that so many of us bakers across the country found the smaller Kisses, it seems that Hershey has a manufacturing issue on its hands.
I’m just wondering here. Perhaps there’s new equipment that cuts off the chocolate improperly, reducing the size of Hershey’s Kisses. Or there’s something is wrong with the wrapping of the chocolate itself.
The size issue either wasn’t discovered at the factory or, if it was, Hershey decided to let the run of smaller Kisses get to stores anyway. That’s understandable, given that chocolate lovers want those Kisses, no matter how small! Maybe Hershey thought no one would notice.
There’s nothing faulty with smaller Kisses themselves. The little teardrop shape is still there, and they taste the same as they always have. They simply lack the size of Kisses in the past and lack the volume that bakers had come to expect.
Some people don’t think that size is a very big deal. However, you can only build brand loyalty by being consistent. Generations of bakers have come to expect Kisses to be of the right size.
When it comes to Kisses, Hershey’s doesn’t have much competition. So if you want Kisses to bake cookies, your best and only option is Hershey’s kisses.
But I’d suggest Hershey pay attention to what happened to chocolate chips. Our grandmothers purchased mainly one brand: Nestle.
Everyone’s pantry used to have those iconic yellow bags with red stripes. But in the past decade or so, something has changed. Your choices aren’t limited anymore to Nestle’s Chocolate Chips. These days, the chocolate chip market is full of other options.
So, while Hershey’s is the only company in town now if you want Kisses, they might wake up one day to find someone else has made a Kiss substitute.
Final Thoughts
My advice to Hershey’s is to fix the confusion about size as soon as possible. And, once they have, make sure bakers everywhere know that the size of their favorite chocolate Kiss has remained consistent for more than 100 years.
I came here looking for athe answer to this very question.
Just bought a 2 pound bag and can notice a size difference. Thanks!
Ahh. I opened a bag of Hershey’s Kisses special dark today, and I haen’t had them for awhile. I picked one out and had a weird moment of seeing it as smaller than before. Now I have eaten and held more Kisses than I would like to admit over the years, and these absolutely feel slightly smaller than ever. I asked my spouse, but he doesn’t eat them often and doesn’t notice tiny differences in things, but they all are a tiny bit lighter and smaller.
I am SO glad I am not the only one who noticed this, since I was wondering if my perceptions were off. I notice slightly different shades of color and sizes of objects, and these are different. Thanks for making me feel better!!
They are smaller my last bag in February 2023. I noticed it right off I eat them everyday. The bottoms are a little hollowed out and they didn’t taste as creamy. At first I thought it couldn’t be, but I found one from a bag before, and they were a full bottom no hollowing out, smooth and rounded, no edges like the current bag. Sad:(
Definitely smaller. And the excuse that there was a factory effort…odd that the error never works the other way and the kisses are too big.