Hershey's Raspberry Hugs

 

More Valentine's Day special goodies abound, and I was absolutely unable to resist this one. In general I find Hershey's chocolate to taste mediocre. It's very sweet, overrated by the children of America but underrated by the chocolate snobs of the world. All I know is that I've had far better chocolate but I've had far worse, and I cannot deny that Hershey's is enjoyable. Much like a white bread peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it's something we all know to be far from gourmet but love to munch on once in a while anyway.

I have no qualms about picking up a bag of kisses (or hugs) every once in a while, simply because the sheer variety of this particular Hershey's offering compensates for the somewhat lacking quality detailed above. Curiosity always weakens my standards as far as what I simply must try. 

 And I do not regret falling slave to the intrigue and tasting these Hershey's Raspberry Hugs. Each one is a lovely little bite. The white chocolate is of decent quality, which is rare in mainstream products. It's on the super sugary side, sure, but not in an off putting way and there is none of the dreaded oily aftertaste of crummy white chocolate. As a general rule, if I'm looking for white chocolate to bake with or eat in pure form (i.e. a bar or truffles) I only buy those products that boast a considerable cocoa butter content, because without it, the white chocolate isn't chocolate at all. Compare a Lindt white chocolate bar with Nestle white chocolate morsels and you'll note how unpleasant the latter tastes. While Hershey's did not opt for a new high standard of white chocolate in this product, the flavor is surprisingly nice. The raspberry swirl element tastes somewhat artificial, which might have been a major flaw but thankfully the it is quite subtle, melds well with the chocolate, and is very pleasant. The milk chocolate center is reminiscent of a chocolate truffle - the texture is solid, but there is a distinct deep ganache flavor to it. All together the morsel is delicious, more than I usually expect of Hershey. I'll be buying another bag, as I live with a great lover of all things raspberry and I highly recommend it to fellow enthusiasts.