The Great American Obsession: Unwrapping Hershey's Kisses

Welcome to Unwrapped, I'm Mark Summers, and today we're unwrapping the great American obsession with chocolate. And if you're a real chocoholic, you have got to talk about Hershey's. They're big time in the world of chocolate, but it's one of their littlest products that has such a huge place in Hershey history.

Hershey Pennsylvania is often referred to as the sweetest place on earth, and it's no surprise why. Chocolate is everywhere, especially the iconic Hershey's Kiss. You drive around town, and all of the lamp posts are shaped like Hershey's Kisses. The kiss is the star of the show, and it's a symbol that's deeply ingrained in American culture.

But did you know that the Hershey's Kiss is more than 100 years old? The small piece of chocolate has a rich past, and it all started with a humble beginning. In 1907, Milton Hershey created the first Hershey's Kiss. He began making kisses seven years after he created his famous Hershey chocolate bar in 1900.

So, where did the name come from? The most popular theory out there is that it's the sound the smooch sound that the machine makes as the kiss is deposited onto the conveyor belt. More than a century after Milton created it, the Kiss comes in many different flavors like vanilla caramel and cherry. But one thing that hasn't changed is the recipe for the chocolate. It all begins with Hershey's liquid chocolate whose main ingredients are cocoa milk and sugar.

Today, they use 6,000 gallons of that chocolate to make their Cherry Cordial Kisses. We make about 20,000 kisses a minute. First, a depositor pumps the liquid chocolate into tiny molds to form the bottom of the kiss. Then, pink cherry filling joins the party after a quick trip through a cooler. The candy starts to take their shape next, and they're off to a huge heat lamp. This machine is similar to a sun bed, what it does is this softens the bottom of the kiss so it will fuse seamlessly with another sport of chocolate.

Finally, the candy rides through a cooling tunnel for 25 minutes when the cordials are cool. They march down a conveyor belt and head to packaging. These machines wrap 1300 chocolates per minute. That wasn't the story when Kisses were first introduced; they were wrapped by hand until 1921. That same year Hershey added the tiny paper banner today, the little flag announces the flavor or filling inside each kiss.

Milton Hershey's bite-sized chocolate candies may be small but they've made a big impact on the chocolate industry. Believe it or not, there are 80 million Hershey's Kisses made every day by the Hershey company. Try one on for size! Did you know that the world's largest Hershey Kiss weighed 30,540 pounds? Pucker up!

The machine used to make Hershey's Kisses is quite fascinating. The depositor pumps the liquid chocolate into tiny molds to form the bottom of the kiss. Then, pink cherry filling joins the party after a quick trip through a cooler. This process creates the signature shape of the Hershey's Kiss.

Hershey's Kisses have come a long way since their creation in 1907. From being wrapped by hand until 1921 to the modern machines that wrap 1300 chocolates per minute, the process has become more efficient and streamlined. Today, the little flag announces the flavor or filling inside each kiss. It's amazing how something as small as a Hershey's Kiss can have such a big impact on the chocolate industry.

As we learn more about Hershey's Kisses, it's clear that they're not just a small piece of chocolate but an integral part of American culture. They've been enjoyed for generations, and their popularity shows no signs of slowing down. With 80 million kisses made every day, it's no wonder why Hershey's Kisses are the most popular candy in America.

In conclusion, Hershey's Kisses are a true American classic. From their humble beginnings to their current status as one of the most popular candies in the world, they've come a long way. Their impact on the chocolate industry cannot be overstated, and their place in American culture is secure. Whether you're a chocoholic or just a fan of Hershey's Kisses, there's no denying their importance in our lives.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhi everybody welcome to unwrapped i'm mark summers and today we are unwrapping the great american obsession chocolate and if you're a real chocoholic you have got to talk about hershey's right they're big time in the world of chocolate but it's one of their littlest products that has such a huge place in hershey history hershey pennsylvania is the sweetest place on earth and it is chocolate everywhere especially the iconic hershey's kiss you drive around town all of the lamp posts are shaped like hershey's kisses and the kiss is the star did you know the hershey's kiss is more than 100 years old the small piece of chocolate has a rich past and it all started with a humble beginning hershey kiss was created in 1907 by milton hershey he began making kisses seven years after he created his famous hershey chocolate bar in 1900 but where did the name come from the most popular theory out there is that it's the sound the smooch sound that the machine makes as the kiss is deposited onto the conveyor belt more than a century after milton created it the kiss comes in many different flavors like vanilla caramel and cherry but one thing that hasn't changed is the recipe for the chocolate it all begins with hershey's liquid chocolate whose main ingredients are cocoa milk and sugar today they'll use 6 000 gallons of that chocolate to make their cherry cordial kisses we make about 20 000 kisses a minute first a depositor pumps the liquid chocolate into tiny molds to form the bottom of the kiss then pink cherry filling joins the party after a quick trip through a cooler the candy start to take their shape next they're off to a huge heat lamp this machine is similar to a sun bed what it does the is this softens the bottom of the kiss so it will fuse seamlessly with another sport of chocolate finally the candy rides through a cooling tunnel for 25 minutes when the cordials are cool they march down a conveyor belt and head to packaging these machines wrap 1300 chocolates per minute that wasn't the story when kisses were first introduced they were wrapped by hand until 1921. that same year hershey added the tiny paper banner today the little flag announces the flavor or filling inside each kiss milton hershey's bite-sized chocolate candies may be small but they've made a big impact on the chocolate industry believe it or not there are 80 million hershey's kisses made every day by the hershey company try on this smooch for size did you know the world's largest hershey kiss weighed 30 540 pounds pucker up youhi everybody welcome to unwrapped i'm mark summers and today we are unwrapping the great american obsession chocolate and if you're a real chocoholic you have got to talk about hershey's right they're big time in the world of chocolate but it's one of their littlest products that has such a huge place in hershey history hershey pennsylvania is the sweetest place on earth and it is chocolate everywhere especially the iconic hershey's kiss you drive around town all of the lamp posts are shaped like hershey's kisses and the kiss is the star did you know the hershey's kiss is more than 100 years old the small piece of chocolate has a rich past and it all started with a humble beginning hershey kiss was created in 1907 by milton hershey he began making kisses seven years after he created his famous hershey chocolate bar in 1900 but where did the name come from the most popular theory out there is that it's the sound the smooch sound that the machine makes as the kiss is deposited onto the conveyor belt more than a century after milton created it the kiss comes in many different flavors like vanilla caramel and cherry but one thing that hasn't changed is the recipe for the chocolate it all begins with hershey's liquid chocolate whose main ingredients are cocoa milk and sugar today they'll use 6 000 gallons of that chocolate to make their cherry cordial kisses we make about 20 000 kisses a minute first a depositor pumps the liquid chocolate into tiny molds to form the bottom of the kiss then pink cherry filling joins the party after a quick trip through a cooler the candy start to take their shape next they're off to a huge heat lamp this machine is similar to a sun bed what it does the is this softens the bottom of the kiss so it will fuse seamlessly with another sport of chocolate finally the candy rides through a cooling tunnel for 25 minutes when the cordials are cool they march down a conveyor belt and head to packaging these machines wrap 1300 chocolates per minute that wasn't the story when kisses were first introduced they were wrapped by hand until 1921. that same year hershey added the tiny paper banner today the little flag announces the flavor or filling inside each kiss milton hershey's bite-sized chocolate candies may be small but they've made a big impact on the chocolate industry believe it or not there are 80 million hershey's kisses made every day by the hershey company try on this smooch for size did you know the world's largest hershey kiss weighed 30 540 pounds pucker up you\n"