What Makes Hershey’s Asian Flavors So Irresistible?

Where is Hershey Chocolate from?

The origin of Hershey's began with the story of an American named Milton Snavely Hershey. Before the age of 26, Milton Hershey had already started three separate candy businesses, all of which ended in failure. After his latest venture failed in New York, he returned to his home state of Pennsylvania and started the Lancaster Caramel Company in 1883. Unlike his other businesses, the caramel company was a massive success.

Milton Hershey’s interest in chocolate began after he saw chocolate-making machines at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. This experience prompted him to create the Hershey Chocolate Company in 1894 as a subsidiary of the caramel company. Believing that caramels were a “fad” and chocolate was “permanent,” he sold the Lancaster Caramel Company in 1900 for a million dollars and invested the money into the Hershey Company.

Hershey’s Early Years and Domestic Dominance

The new company’s first major product was the Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar. By using fresh milk from the farm and a unique refining recipe, the brand quickly became successful. Hershey's rapid growth led to the production of other popular products, including Hershey's Chocolate Kisses in 1907, Mr. Goodbar in 1925, Hershey's Syrup in 1926, Krackel in 1938, and Hershey's Miniatures in 1939. As the company expanded into new territories, it began to enter into a series of 20th-century deals, mergers, and acquisitions that turned it into America’s biggest chocolate brand. We've listed the most important ones below:

• Merged with the H. B. Reese Candy Company in 1963 to produce and distribute  Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which became Hershey's best seller.

• The colorful, sugar-coated M&M's were made with Hershey's chocolate.

• Entered a licensing agreement with UK-based confectionery company Rowntree's for the right to produce, market, and sell Kit Kat and Rolo in the United States.

• Acquired Y&S Candies in 1977 and automatically gained the right to produce Twizzlers.

• Secured the rights to make and sell certain products of the Cadbury brand in the United States in 1988. 

Hershey’s Global Expansion

Those deals proved to be generally successful, as Hershey's reached sales revenue of $1 billion in 1979 and $5 billion in 2008. By the end of 2016, the company had expanded to several countries outside of the U.S., including Canada, China, Brazil, and India. Although Hershey's is now a global chocolate powerhouse, its main markets remain in the U.S. and Canada to this day. However, the company is making efforts to conquer the Asian market and make countries like China one of its top two markets in a few years.

Hershey’s Expansion into Asia

Hershey's officially began their expansion into Asia in the late 2010s. The company understood that the market in the region was quite different from the one in North America. Hence, they had to be extremely strategic in their quest to satisfy Asian consumers. Hershey's decided to partner with South Korean multinational corporation Lotte Confectionery Company. The alliance allowed both companies to produce their respective products in Jinshan, China, where Lotte already had a thriving market. It also helped Hershey's create and distribute better-suited products for Asian countries, including China, Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

To further bolster their stronghold in Asia, Hershey’s acquired several confectionery businesses in the region, including Van Houten Singapore in 2009 and Shanghai Golden Monkey Food in 2014. Thanks to all of these strategies, Asia became Hershey's fastest-growing region. It was doing particularly well in China, India, and Southeast Asia, which were originally served only by plants in China and India. To meet the heavy demand, Hershey's created a new high-tech manufacturing plant in Johor, Malaysia. The company continued to satisfy consumers on the continent by creating affordable products with unique Asian flavors. Some of their most successful releases are available at Bokksu Market.

Unique Asian-Inspired Hershey Flavors

As we mentioned earlier, Hershey's rapid growth in Asia has to do with the development of a variety of unique flavors for the Asian market. Many of these products used ingredients people in the region were already used to eating. The following is a brief overview of some of the most traditionally Asian Hershey products:

• Matcha: Hershey's released a green tea daifuku mochi product inspired by the Japanese rice cake (mochi). The product consists of a mochi ball coated with green tea (matcha) and filled with marshmallow and delicious Hershey's chocolate.

• Red Bean: Hershey's released a red bean-flavored ice cream. Red bean is a common ingredient for making Chinese, Japanese, and Korean confections.

• Mandarin orange: The company created a Mandarin orange waffle, specifically for the Asian market. It blended the zesty flavor of the orange, which was native to China and Southeast Asia, with the soft crisp of waffles.

Focus on Popular Asian Flavors

We cannot claim that all of the Asian flavors created by Hershey's turned out to be smash hits. Some were moderately successful and others were discontinued after a while. What we can say for certain is that a few of these flavors became exceptionally popular in Asia. People in the U.S. have also been able to enjoy some of these rare products by shopping at Bokksu Market.

• Chocolate chip cookies: These are crunchy chip cookies made with Hershey’s chocolate with the Korean market in mind. The product is one of the most popular flavors on Bokksu Market and is the perfect snack to pair with a glass of warm milk.

• Matcha daifuku mochi: Released exclusively for Japan, this modern take on a traditional sweet treat has found its way to other parts of the world. 

• Chocolate waffles: Hershey’s released its Korea-exclusive chocolate waffle product to bring a buttery taste to its audience in the country.

• Mandarin orange waffles: This zesty product is a customer favorite at Bokksu Market and makes our list of most popular Asian Hershey's.

• Strawberry Kisses: Hershey’s created a strawberry-flavored Kisses candy for the Asian and Middle Eastern markets. It’s arguably one of its most popular flavors worldwide today.

Hershey’s Cultural Impact in Asia

Hershey’s products have been integrated into various Asian cultures thanks to modifications in their original recipe. These modified products are not as sweet as the originals and they have more flavor complexity. People in China, India, Japan, and other countries in the region get to enjoy flavors that use ingredients from their local cuisine. For example, Hershey's Matcha Choco Daifuku Mochi could be used as an alternative to the traditional mochi in cultural celebrations and festivities.

Hershey’s has also provided people in those countries with an alternative to domestic chocolate brands such as Lotte and Meiji. Hence, it has offered the region more snack food options for Valentine’s Day and other holidays. Furthermore, the company is creating Asian products using some of its sustainability practices, such as using independently verified cocoa. These practices are part of its shared goodness promise, which is still on its way to complete fulfillment.

They also opened the Hershey's Chocolate World attraction in Singapore. This is a famous destination for snack lovers of all ages. When you visit, you get to explore a wide variety of Hershey brands, eat bakery treats, enjoy ride-in tours, and create your own candy bar attraction.

East Meets West: How Hershey’s Flavors Differ Across Continents

Hershey’s had to operate in high contrast mode to stand a chance against the local Asian brands. Hence, the distinct flavor profiles of Hershey’s chocolates in Asia compared to those in the U.S. have been pivotal in its quest for dominance in both markets.

In the West, chocolate flavors tend to be much simpler, sweeter, and creamier. The flavor profile used to satisfy the Asian market is a lot more diverse and complex. Many of the Eastern countries have unique preferences. China, for example, has a practical perception of chocolate, as it is considered a semi-sweet source of energy. Another good example is Japan, where people prefer chocolate with low calories and multiple health benefits.

Asia’s Favorite Hershey’s Products

Global Hershey products are still quite popular in Asian countries. Hershey's Kisses are a big deal in the region, especially China, where the brand surpassed $100 million in annual sales in 2014. That was the first time Kisses reached such numbers outside the United States. Hershey waffles and cookies are also quite popular in Asia, and they are some of the bestselling snacks at Bokksu Market. In Japan, you can easily find Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in supermarkets and convenience stores. 

Where to Find Hershey’s Asian Flavors

The best place to buy Hershey’s unique Asian flavors and have them delivered to your doorstep is Bokksu Market. We are always updating our online store with new flavors and products, including the rare and exclusive variants. Browse through our collection of Asian Hershey’s to see these unique items.

The Global Chocolate Experience

By blending cultural tastes, Hershey’s has successfully created a global chocolate experience for lovers of sweets and snacks worldwide. The company continues to invest heavily in its Asian market with hopes that it will become one of its biggest assets in the coming years. Take advantage of Hershey’s interest in Asia. Enjoy these unique offerings through Bokksu Market.