Here comes Hershey’s to the blog! And a huge welcome to you, dear friends! We’re exploring the world of Herhsey’s and their relatively new ice cream-inspired chocolate range. From Canada all the way to Southeast Asia (more on that later), these new flavors are pretty fun. In this post, we’ll taste one of the three new flavors: Cookies ‘N’ Mint. Yum! And since we’re approaching October, it’s something that Friendly Frankenstein will approve!

The first time I had dived into the world of chocolates was for a pre-university project on Hershey’s in my first semester. That very project was my first solo project at a tertiary level, and I was determined to have fun while doing my best to complete it successfully. I remember unlocking more about the incredibly-delicious chocolate realm that I have always loved but had yet to explore deeper. By the grace of God, I received an awesome grade for the Hershey’s project. Work felt like play, I loved it that way. And I was blessed to be given that opportunity. Hours of pouring my heart and soul into this project resulted in some of my fondest memories of Hershey’s.

Without further ado, let’s begin the inaugural Hershey’s post!

Why did I find myself adding Hershey’s chocolates to my recent shopping haul? Well, the answer’s quite simple: curiosity. I was amazed to spot a bold Hershey’s display that donned rows of new flavors that seem pretty cool (pun intended) – a range of chocolate bars that are inspired by ice creams exists! I’ve never seen Hershey’s chocolates like these before: the only time I’ve seen ‘Hershey’s’ and ‘ice cream’ in the same sentence is when McDonald’s introduced its limited-time-only Hershey’s ice cream here (which I’ve yet to taste). Ice cream-inspired chocolate sounds like a winner, and a concept I’ve not experienced since the gelato-inspired Tim Tams in Australia.

Hershey’s latest additions are said to be special: their roots were planted by an international endeavor to gather ideas from chocolate enthusiasts to decide upon new flavor ideas that would make it into a curated range. This resulted in three ice cream-inspired flavors.

I realized that Canada had a large part to play in Hershey’s adventure from the beginning to the end, because French translations are printed on the packages of those that are available in North America. This is a first for me – I’ve only seen Hershey’s wrappers from the States. Almost all roads lead to Canada in my bits of sleuthing. Hence, it seems to me that we’re having a little taste of Canada in this post! Apparently, they’re available in-store at Wal-Mart in Canada right now. The ones that are available here in the Lion City don’t include French on the wrappers and they’re manufactured in neighboring Malaysia. I assume that these chocolates will be close to the chocolates in Canada, as the flavors’ names and descriptions are almost identical, and so are the chocolate bars’ designs.

The delicate chocolate’s quirky design greeted me upon unwrapping this treat. Instead of blocks, the pieces are triangular, apart from the ones at both ends, which echo the shape of ice cream cones. I like that edgy aztec-like detail, and the cute ice cream motives that are stamped into the chocolate itself. Aesthetics-wise, the boldly-electric green color (which looks like pastel green at times – it depends on the lighting) reminds me of green whipped cream from last year’s Halloween-themed Starbucks frappe. If these chocolates have yet to disappear by Halloween, I bet they’d make great additions to Frankenstein-inspired desserts!

It’s time to taste! The flavors aren’t mysterious at all – and I’m happy that they delivered on the promised flavors. A nice, refreshing taste of mint (which is added to white chocolate) shines with crunchy Oreo-like cookie bits. The chocolate itself tastes like North American chocolate, which is different to British/European/Australian/New Zealand chocolates. Personally, I love the unique (‘unique’ to this part of the world, at least) flavor it brings.

The selection of a white chocolate base to showcase mint is a perfect choice, as mint is the star of the show. White chocolate is mellow, and it allows mint to take the stage as the lead flavor, dotted with cookie crumbles as a supporting crew.

As for the ‘ice cream’ part, I think the effect lies in the chocolate’s texture. Rather than being smooth like most chocolates, this one’s a little on the creamy side. It’s said that the ice cream-inspired chocolate bars possess cooling elements that have a slight effect of eating an actual ice cream. When it came to that anticipated cooling touch, I felt a touch of coolness. I reckon it’s from the mint, though, as mint is quite refreshing on its own. The ‘cool’ effect is more so a breeze than a blizzard, which is good if you don’t desire to experience brain freeze! It reminds me of mint ice cream with chocolate chips – a classic in the ice cream world.

All in all, this ice cream-inspired Hershey’s experience is off to a great start. And it’s perfect for Halloween, which is an added bonus for my seasonal snack stash! I can’t wait to taste more chocolates from the ice cream range (coming soon!)