Hershey’s Kisses were first introduced in 1907.
The Hershey Company launched the small, foil-wrapped chocolates in the United States as a bite-sized confection. Their name refers to their shape and the idea of a small “kiss” of chocolate, rather than to a person or place.
Early Kisses were wrapped by hand. A distinctive paper plume, or paper strip extending from the foil, was later used to identify genuine Hershey’s Kisses and remains part of the package design. The chocolates became especially associated with holiday and gift packaging.
The original product has inspired many variations, including versions with different chocolate centers and coatings. Hershey’s Kisses should not be confused with Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars: both are Hershey products, but they were introduced at different times and have different shapes and packaging histories.