The Sweet Smell of American History: Visiting Hershey, PA

This summer I was honored by an invitation to the headquarters of a nostalgic America brand, The Hershey Company! Did you know that there’s actually a town in Pennsylvania called Hershey? I’m a West Coaster, so I had no idea. While it is indeed a small town, Hershey, Pa is rich in charm and American history… and it all started from one man’s dream to bring others the sweet indulgence of chocolate.

Hershey Chocolate Test Tasting

One of my favorite parts of our trip was learning how to taste chocolate. How to taste chocolate, you ask? Well, yes! Under the direction of a Hershey chocolate expert, we learned about the nuances of our favorite sweet treat. Depending on where the cocoa bean is grown, the flavors vary drastically. From one corner of the world to the next, the various aromas and flavors distinctly defined it’s country of origin. We learned the importance of hallmark recipes and how Hershey’s chocolate became so unique to the American palette.

Creating Tradition

As Hershey Ambassadors, we were granted a special tour of the research and development facilities and were hosted by chocolate experts. As with all big companies, product development is an exhaustive process – making the experience satisfy the costumer from the first bite all the way to the 100^th time the product is purchased. We learned how flavor additives are tested and combined to produce the novelty flavors of the Hershey brands.

We also learned a bit about how the newest Lancaster Soft Crèmes are made and how it differs from other caramels on the market. Have you tried these soft candies, yet? They’re so good!

Chocolate World

At the end of our visit, the Hershey Ambassadors got to experience the depth of Hershey’s impact on American culture when we visited Hershey’s Chocolate World attraction. From all over the world, people come to Hershey, Pennsylvania to enjoy a theme park and other experiences centered around the values and sweet goodness that Milton Hershey began many years ago.

I bought Alina an adorable Hershey’s Kisses stuffed animal and Sebastian got a few Reese’s Pieces race cars. And for Daddy D? He got candy, of course! That man loves caramel more than any man I’ve ever known.

I had a great time in Hershey this summer learning about The Hershey Company, its brands,  and about a piece of American history I was not familiar with. Milton Hershey – like so many innovation entrepreneurs that this country creates – has an amazing American legacy that continues to live on in our modern day society.

I can’t wait to share all that I’ve learned!

Disclosure: This blog post and my trip to Hershey, PA were sponsored by The Hershey Company as part of my participation in their Food Ambassador program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.