Hugs vs. Kisses

Last week, Fifteen Minutes gave free Hugs and Kisses to diners at the Union. Not that we find first-years particularly attractive, but we wanted to conduct a cutting-edge survey on chocolate.

In an attempt to expand its share of the quick-fix chocolate market, Hershey, maker of the Kiss, unveiled the Hug this summer. Officially described as "mini Hershey's Kisses hugged by white chocolate," Hugs look like Kisses with brown and white stripes.

According to Bonnie Hinkson of Hershey Foods Corporation, the home office is very happy with its new product. "The trick was finding something perfect for the name...and this is it... We think it's wonderful!" she said.

Is it? Can a Hug really be as satisfying as a Kiss? Fifteen Minutes put it to the test.

Most first-years were turned on by the novelty of Hugs. Said Ben Herzog, "I like the Hugs better. It's creamier. The Hershey Kiss is boring." While he added, "[The Kiss] doesn't change my life at all," Herzog remarked that the Hug is "like a party going on in my mouth."

But this is Harvard. Most everyone had complaints. A common criticism of the mixing of white and milk chocolates was that the result was a blander candy. Raj Gajwani noted, "White chocolate doesn't have the same kick...Kisses are chocolate [as it's] meant to be. Chocolate isn't meant to be white."

Daveena Ma agreed, adding, "I think white chocolate is another symbol of the homogenization of American culture. You have real chocolate, dark chocolate, and then you tamper with it by making it milk chocolate and then you take out the essence of chocolate completely by making white chocolate. It's white chocolate for a white world...no passion, no flavor, no character, nothing!"

Like many of her classmates, Ma found fault with the name. "A Hug is much less intense than a Kiss," she said. "So if they had Hershey Fucks and made it dark chocolate, that would be good."

Kevin Murphy was more conciliatory, saying that the two candies serve different functions. "For a quick and dirty sugar rush, go for the Kiss. For something higher in the realm of chocolate you'll want the Hug."