this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2025
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For sure, that's why it tastes like vomit.
Hershey's chocolate has butyric acid, which is also found in vomit. The acid is allegedly a byproduct, but it helps stabilize the chocolate and prevent it from melting. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hersheys-chocolate-tastes-like-vomit_l_60479e5fc5b6af8f98bec0cd
I don't know if it's an urban legend, but the story I had always heard was that chocolate became very scarce during the war, as milk was rationed, but Hershey's figured out how to make decent tasting chocolate from spoiled milk, which was easier to get since no one wanted it. The war went on long enough that Americans eventually expected chocolate to taste like that, so after it ended they reformulated to keep the signature taste while using fresh milk.
It's a myth. It's all about the milk powder manufacturing process. The American process increases butyric acid content.a different process is used in Europe.
Butyric acid is a natural ingredient of milk. Surprisingly, in small amounts it creates a creamy sensation. It is used for that purpose in many natural and synthetic flavourings.
The problem with American milk chocolate is the way they produce milk powder - their method increases butyric acid content turning creamy sensation into vomit.
No, it's because there's some biproduct to how they process the chocolate that I think tastes bad to people who didn't grow up eating it. As an American, I think I can taste the slightly sour note in Hershey's that I don't taste in other chocolates but my brain has had enough exposure to it that it doesn't taste vomit-y so I don't mind it (lol.) Don't get me wrong, it's not good quality by any means but to me it's like the difference getting a burger from McDonald's vs at a nice restaurant. Not often, but there's time and place where getting McDonald's fucking hits.
@half_fiction @TTH4P the theory is it's butyric acid (in the UK everyone thinks Hershey's tastes like vomit too and lots of our milk chocolate is quite low cocoa content) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hersheys-chocolate-tastes-like-vomit/_l/_60479e5fc5b6af8f98bec0cd