Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are some of Hershey’s most treasured chocolaty treats. Though the sweet and salty candies started small in the 1930s as a low-sugar alternative during wartime rations, Hershey’s has adjusted their size, broke them into Reese’s Pieces, and formed them into fantastic shapes. It is no wonder that the company has been proclaiming for years, “There’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s.”
In point of fact, this long-held assertion rings absolutely true. After years of research, testers all over the world have found that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups remain enjoyable no matter the method of tasting. For your enjoyment, we have compiled the most popular and incredible ways to eat a standard Reese’s. Whether or not they are the right or wrong way is entirely up to you.
Proper Etiquette
Gentlemen and ladies interested in sampling a delicious Reese’s treat know there is only one way to eat a Reese’s in polite company. Carefully carving out appropriate-sized wedges with a dessert fork and knife, members of high society can continue to look proper while succumbing to the sweet sensations of a peanut butter cup. If you attempt this style, be careful you use the appropriate manners in holding your utensils.
The One-and-Done
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the eager and uninhibited partakers of Reese’s delights generally enjoy eating as much Reese’s as possible in a short amount of time. In this case, simply shoving an entire peanut butter cup into your mouth should suffice.
The Two-Bite Shuffle
Either using your fingers or your teeth, break the peanut butter cup cleanly down the center to make two equal halves. Then, you can enjoy your Reese’s in two separate portions. Many advocates of this style argue that it allows for the perfect balance of peanut butter and chocolate in each bite.
Stripping the Gear
By nibbling around the edge, an industrious diner can effectively remove the dense chocolate ridges from the peanut butter cup, leaving a delectable circle of peanut butter filling and thin chocolate coating. Peanut butter fans are more likely to employ this method, as it provides the highest peanut butter–to-chocolate ratio. This style gained its name because in its most basic form, a Reese’s cup closely resembles a gear wheel, with the ridges from the cup mimicking teeth.
The Daredevil
Adrenaline seekers simply cannot enjoy their candy while they are safe on the ground. Thus, reckless Reese’s aficionados are known to partake in their cups on any and all of their high-flying adventures. You are most likely to catch an example of this style in action on roller coasters and motorcycles, or under parachutes.
Savor Savvy
Some Reese’s admirers purport that the only way to achieve the perfect sweet and salty mixture of peanut butter and chocolate is to allow the cup to melt away completely on the comfort of your tongue. Not only does this method allow samplers to truly relish the Reese’s flavor, but it extends the exciting experience longer than any other style.
Baked, Shaked, and Shimmied
Some people aren’t content with the simple perfection of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, and they are always looking for new and better ways a Reese’s can be transformed. Luckily, Reese’s lend themselves perfectly to all manner of alternate creations, from cookies to ice cream to milkshakes. Most recipes are easy enough to follow, but those less confident in the kitchen can experience the baked and shaken delicacies based on Reese’s in Hershey’s Chocolate World.
Smashed Reese’s
Often reserved for the very young or very old, this style requires a sampler to destroy the perfect shape of the peanut butter cup by force. However, by mashing a cup into a pulp, you can swirl the peanut butter and chocolate to your content. Plus, the creamy remains are easily enjoyed by toothless Reese’s fans.
The Lateral Split
Requiring precision and delicate maneuvering, this method has you bisect your precious Reese’s horizontally. Ideally, in the end, you will have two open-faced peanut butter and chocolate sandwiches. More likely, you’ll get frustrated and eat the thing before you achieve perfection.
The Hanging Chad
In an inverse of “Stripping the Gear,” you use your thumbs to carefully punch out the peanut butter center from the chocolate edge. Done properly, this method ensures a circle of milk chocolate with scant peanut butter flavoring. Chocoholics who lack an affinity for peanut butter most often employ this method.
Ooey-Gooey
Fanatics in the savoring camp who lack the patience for their mouth to melt their Reese’s treats often use other means to turn their cups into warm and dripping masses. Microwaves and toaster ovens on low settings should achieve the appropriate level of melt, but Reese’s lovers with an air for flare have been known to use hot coals of a campfire to get the right consistency.