With Valentine’s Day upon us again, today is as much the day of sweets as that of love. Chocolate being a token candy of the holiday, people tend to go for a classic and buy Hershey Kisses. Despite their popularity, these can still be the most overrated treats one could lay their hands on. So what makes these sweets so overrated? 

The after taste is one reason. When one thinks of chocolate, they think of sweet goodness. But when one eats a Hershey Kiss, it initially tastes fantastic, but leaves the mouth  drily unsatisfied with a residual bitter aftertaste. Still, the addictiveness of the chocolate compels one to want more. Objectively speaking, good chocolate not only gives the taster a good experience, but it also leaves them with a satisfactory aftertaste. Wouldn’t you want the receiver of that gift to feel good? Or would you rather spoil their taste buds with low quality chocolate? 

Hershey Kisses are a low-quality gift that screams laziness. To start off, the packaging is boring. The bag might have good-looking Valentine’s Day designs, but it’s still, in essence, a plastic bag. Compared to Ferrero Rocher’s chocolate, which is famously wrapped in gold foil paper, Hershey’s Kisses look amateur — it lacks the elegance that Ferrero Rocher’s packaging brings. To add on, Hershey Kisses only offer one flavor per package, so the fun in trying different types of chocolates (such as a mixed box of chocolates) disappears. They melt extremely easily, getting hands dirty and sticky. 

Finally, Hershey Kisses are like the last minute chocolate gifts one buys when they run out of ideas. It doesn’t show that the gifter had the intent to give a meaningful gift. 

So what should the gifter buy instead? 

Any other chocolate that isn’t named Hershey Kisses. Ferrero Rocher or Lindor are perfect options. Not only will they soothe your taste buds, but it will also show effort into your gift. 

To help you make Valentine’s Day worth celebrating for those around you, avoid Hershey Kisses at all costs. It may be tempting to buy them as a gift, but it would be much more appreciated if you went for something more thoughtful and delightful.

Artwork by Jialin Chen, Art Editor