The Keystone State is one step closer to making a sweet declaration. A bill advanced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Tuesday that would make Hershey's Kisses the official candy of Pennsylvania.
Of course, the Hershey Co. is located in Dauphin County with its candy and the wonderland that is Hersheypark bringing joy to both Pennsylvanians and, really, people from all places.
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Hershey's Kisses are one of the company's signature candies along with the Hershey bar itself, but is it truly the candy the commonwealth should be putting head and shoulders above all the rest? Is that what Pennsylvanias really want? I have my doubts. Here's a ranking of five better options for this honor:
5. Almond Joy
What? Don't people hate Almond Joys when they get them in their Halloween candy variety packs? With its coconut filling, it's divisive and controversial compared to Hershey's more standard fare. (The Almond Joy was invented in Connecticut in the late 1940s but it has been under the Hershey's umbrella since 1988.) The candy's polarizing effect is what makes it applicable to Pennsylvanians and Philadelphians, in particular. "No one likes, we don't care" has became a familiar refrain locally. Outsiders might think it's trash. Good. That's just the way people here like it. No one can say bad things about Philly and Pennsylvania besides people from Philly and Pennsylvania!
4. Peeps
Peeps: a spring tradition unlike any other. Made by Just Born in Bethlehem, the little chicks and their marshmallow goodness are a staple around Easter. They have their own mythology too, jokingly considered "indestructible." No, they are not the Eagles' offensive line in that regard, but they are equally beloved.
3. Peanut Chews
Local ties must be preserved. Peanut Chews base their branding around Philadelphia right down to an official partnership with the Eagles. Not a candy produced by the Hershey Co., it feels more like an underdog in the candy scene compared to some of the more recognizable options.
"Are Peanut Chews the 2017 Eagles of candy?" they are asking on a fictional candy talk radio show.
2. Hershey's bar
The Hershey's bar is better than Hershey's Kisses. Sorry if that offends!
1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Mike Schmidt. Wilt Chamberlain. Nick Foles. Sometimes the GOATs are just the GOATs and demand undeniable respect. That's what a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is: the best of the best. It has many delicious variants, such as Reese's Pieces, which makes for a phenomenal option when hitting the local cineplex, but the Peanut Butter Cups themselves have their own iconic status.
Plus, the candy has the necessary Pennsylvania credentials: They were invented by H.B. Reese, of Muddy Forks Creek in York County. Reese for time worked as the manager of Milton Hershey's dairy farm in the early 1900s and after getting downsized came back to work in Hershey's candy company's shipping department. It was at that time he began experiment with candy making. In 1923, Reese left Hershey's to start H.B. Reese Candy Co., also located in Hershey, which led to the creation of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup – made using Hershey's chocolate. Hershey's bought Reese's company in 1963.
It's time to go to Wawa and take a peek at the snack aisle now …
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