Hershey bar

The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar, often called the Hershey Bar, is a famous type of chocolate made by The Hershey Company. It's known as "The Great American Chocolate Bar." People love its smooth, creamy taste.

The Hershey Bar was first sold in 1900, and since then, it has become a classic treat enjoyed by many. Its special mix of milk and chocolate makes it different from other chocolate bars.

Today, the Hershey Bar is still very popular and is enjoyed all around the world. It's a sweet part of everyday life for many people who love chocolate.

History of Hershey chocolate bars

Hershey chocolate bars began with Milton Hershey and his first successful candy business, the Lancaster Caramel Company, founded in 1886. After seeing chocolate-making machines at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, Hershey decided to make chocolate. He started by putting chocolate coatings on caramels.

In 1894, Hershey created the Hershey Chocolate Company. By 1899, he developed a way to make chocolate on a large scale. In November 1900, Hershey began selling the first Hershey milk chocolate bar.

Varieties of Hershey's Bars

The Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar, often simply called the Hershey Bar, comes in many different kinds. Originally introduced in 1900, it has since expanded to include milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and many other flavors. Each variety offers a unique taste experience while staying true to the classic Hershey recipe.

Popular versions include milk chocolate bars, dark chocolate bars, and specialty flavors that combine chocolate with other ingredients. These variations allow everyone to enjoy their favorite type of chocolate in the iconic Hershey Bar format.

Product	Image	Sizes	Description	Ingredients	Year
Milk Chocolate Bar		standard bar 1.55 oz. miniatures 1 lb. bar XL bar giant bar 7 oz.	A Hershey's chocolate candy bar containing milk chocolate. Commonly thought of as the "original” or "normal" Hershey's chocolate bar.	Milk Chocolate, Cane Sugar, Milk, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Lecithin, Natural Flavor	1900
Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds		standard bar 1.55 oz. giant bar 6.8 oz.	A Hershey's chocolate candy bar containing milk chocolate with almonds.	Milk Chocolate, Sugar, Milk, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Almonds, Sunflower Oil	1908
Hershey's Special Dark Bar		standard bar 1.55 oz. miniatures giant bar 6.8 oz.	A Hershey's chocolate candy bar containing a mildly sweet chocolate made of 45% cacao solids. The Special Dark contains less sugar and more cocoa than Hershey's milk chocolate products.	Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Milk Contains 2% or Less of: Milk Fat, Lecithin, Disodium Phosphate, Baking Soda, Vanillin (Artificial Flavor)	1939
Hershey's Special Dark Bar with Almonds		standard bar 1.55 oz.	A Hershey's chocolate candy bar containing a mildly sweet chocolate with almond pieces.	Milk Chocolate, Sugar, Milk, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Almonds, Sunflower Oil
Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Bar		standard bar, 1.55 oz. snack size	A Hershey's candy bar containing white creme and cookie bits.	Sugar, vegetable oil, palm oil, shea oil, sunflower oil, palm kernel oil, safflower oil, Nonfat Milk, corn syrup solids, enriched wheat flour, flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, lactose Contains 2% or Less of: Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Whey, High-fructose corn syrup, Chocolate, Lecithin, Baking Soda, Salt, Natural Flavors, Artificial Flavor, Tocopherols (To Maintain Freshness), PGPR (Emulsifer)	1994
Hershey's Gold Bar		king size, 2.5 oz. standard, 1.4 oz. miniatures	A Hershey's candy bar containing caramelized cream, peanuts, and pretzels.	Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Palm Oil, Shea Oil, Sunflower Oil, Soybean Oil, Safflower Oil, Skim Milk, Peanuts, Milk Fat, Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour, Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Lactose Contains 2% or Less of: Lecithin, Salt, Malt, Yeast	2017
Hershey's Air Delight Bar		standard bar	A Hershey's candy bar containing milk chocolate gently blended into a light, airy texture, as it is aerated chocolate. It was designed to melt in the consumer's mouth. The bar has been discontinued.	Milk Chocolate	2011
Hershey's White Creme with Almonds		standard bar, 1.4 oz.	A Hershey's candy bar containing white creme and whole almonds.	Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Palm Oil, Shea Oil, Sunflower Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Safflower Oil, Almonds, Skim Milk, Corn Syrup Solids, Lactose Contains 2% or Less of: Lecithin, Vanillin (Artificial Flavor), PGPR	2019
Hershey's Milk Chocolate & Reese's Pieces Candy Bar		standard bar, 1.5 oz. king size, 2.55 oz.	A Hershey's chocolate candy bar containing milk chocolate with Reese's Pieces.	Milk Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Milk Fat, Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavor, Sugar, Peanuts, Partially Defatted Peanuts, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Soybean Oil Contains 2% or Less of: Corn Syrup Solids, Dextrose, Palm Kernel Oil, Corn Syrup, Artificial Color, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Cornstarch, Salt, Confectioner's Glaze, Lecithin, Modified Cornstarch, Carnauba Wax, Vanillin (Artificial Flavor)	2018
Hershey's Extra Dark Pure Dark Chocolate Bar		standard bar, 3.52 oz. bag, 5.1 oz.	A dark chocolate candy bar full of natural antioxidants. The Hershey's Extra Dark chocolate is a darker chocolate, containing 60% cacao solids.	Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Chocolate; Sugar; Cocoa; Milk Fat; Cocoa Butter; Soy Lecithin; Natural Vanilla Flavor; and Milk)
Hershey's Extra Dark Pure Dark Chocolate Bar with Pomegranate		standard bar, 3.52 oz. bag, 5.1 oz.	A Hershey's Extra Dark Pure Dark Chocolate candy bar variety containing pure dark chocolate with pomegranate flavored pieces.	Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa, Milk Fat, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Milk), Fruit Juice Concentrate (Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, Cranberry Juice Concentrate, Apple Juice Concentrate, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Elderberry Juice Concentrate), Contains 2% or Less of: Pectin, Natural Flavor, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Malic Acid, Corn Syrup, Ascorbic Acid.
Hershey's Extra Dark Pure Dark Chocolate Bar with Cranberries, Blueberries, & Almonds		standard bar, 3.52 oz. bag, 5.1 oz.	A Hershey's Extra Dark Pure Dark Chocolate candy bar variety containing pure dark chocolate, cranberries, blueberries, and almond chips.	Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Chocolate; Sugar; Cocoa; Milk Fat; Cocoa Butter; Soy Lecithin; Natural Vanilla Flavor; and Milk), Almonds (Roasted in Cocoa Butter and/or Sunflower Oil), Blueberries, Cranberries, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and Sunflower Oil

Hershey's milk chocolate

The Hershey Process for milk chocolate uses fresh milk from local farms. Developed by Milton Hershey, this process created the first mass-produced chocolate in the United States. Because of this, many people in the United States recognize the Hershey flavor. The exact process is a trade secret, but it is believed that the milk is partly lipolyzed, which creates a tangy taste from butyric acid. This special flavor is well-known in the United States but is less common in other countries where European chocolates are more popular.

Since 2006, Hershey has added polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) to some of its chocolates, except for Hershey’s Kisses. In 2015, Hershey announced plans to remove PGPR and artificial vanillin, and they did remove these from some products. However, in 2019, PGPR was added back into some bars like Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds and plain milk chocolate bars. Hershey states that they use natural flavors but do not use vanilla in their chocolate.

Other varieties and details

Hershey's offers many different chocolate bars besides the classic milk chocolate and milk chocolate with almonds. You can find flavors like Special Dark, Cookies 'n' Creme, Symphony (milk chocolate or almond toffee), Mr. Goodbar (with peanuts), and Krackel (with crisped rice). There have also been special limited-time flavors such as Double Chocolate and Nut Lovers.

All of Hershey's chocolate bars are approved for people who keep kosher dietary laws. The biggest Hershey bar available weighs five pounds and costs about $45. For their 100th anniversary, Hershey even made a special gold bar with pretzels and peanuts.