The Story Behind The Hulk-Themed Chocolate Syrup We're Not Getting Back

The 2000s saw the rise of superhero movies as Marvel laid the blueprints for their cinematic universe. This inspired one of the most bizarre tie-in food products ever to evoke childhood nostalgia. Remember Hershey's green, Hulk-themed chocolate syrup? Hershey released this curious promotional product to celebrate the 2003 "Hulk" movie starring Eric Bana. It was one of many Hulk-themed sweet treats to hit the shelves, along with green apple-flavored Twizzlers, green gumballs from Bubble Yum, and Hulk-shaped Jolly Ranchers.

Available in a green bottle that looked more like laundry detergent than chocolate sauce, Hershey's Hulk-themed syrup promoted the first feature-length film since the 1980s to star the iconic comic book character. The syrup was bright green in honor of the Hulk, although it retained the same chocolate taste, which divided consumers, some of whom found the juxtaposition between appearance and flavor jarring.

Hershey's Incredible Hulk chocolate syrup caused a stir among nostalgic millennials on Reddit, many of whom recalled the unique product's qualities -- as well as its shortcomings. This forgotten gem may have been discontinued long ago, but its strange story still holds mixed memories for many wistful adults.

Read more: 11 Discontinued Chocolates We Miss The Most

A Brief History Of Hershey's Hulk-Themed Chocolate Syrup

Available to buy for less than $3, this 48-ounce bottle was sold at most major retail stores upon its 2003 release. The bright green bottle matched the color of the syrup, yet it still retained the same chocolatey taste. This had its drawbacks. According to users on Reddit, as well as reminiscers on other online community boards, the syrup's green coloring caused a rather unfortunate bowel issue: green poop.

Hershey's Hulk sauce was quickly discontinued the same year it was released. It's easy to understand why: Fans on Twitter recalled the syrup's "weird, sickly, swamp green" color, with the brown chocolatey hues making the end result more sludge than superhero. Consumers could add the product to a variety of ice creams, however, or mix it with milk to create Hulk milk beverages.

One Hulk sauce sampler over at Deseret News was a little more forgiving of the condiment and described it at the time as "one of the least offensive of several new green-colored foods for kids." They continued, "If your kids like green foods or the Hulk, you could do a lot worse than this syrup, especially mixed in low-fat milk." Another consumer added, "Put this syrup on vanilla ice cream and it looks just like creme de menthe."

Novelty Food Products Were All The Rage In The Early 2000s

Although the green Hulk syrup was discontinued in 2003, empty bottles are for sale on Ebay for fans of vintage Hershey products. One was available in December 2023 for $29.99 -- a staggering increase of $27.30. The Hulk-themed liquid chocolate wasn't the only novelty-colored food product released that decade. In 2000, Heinz released a limited green-colored ketchup, hitting shelves in the U.S. in October. Why green? According to the BBC, Heinz wanted to attract a "younger market." The green ketchup was bolstered with additional vitamin C and, although resembling liquid spinach, the sauce retained its traditional tomato taste thanks to the use of green tomatoes in place of its traditional red.

As well as green ketchup, Heinz also debuted an EZ Squirt Funky Purple edition. In 2002, Funky Fries launched a Kool Blue edition (yep, blue-colored fries), promoted by the popular cartoon character Jimmy Neutron. The blue fries were discontinued a year later due to low market demand. Users recalled similar issues to Hershey's Hulk-themed chocolate sauce, with the dye in both products causing the same unwelcome bowel reaction.

The early 2000s were a wild ride when it came to top-brand food products. It seems as though no wacky color was off limits, leaving many nostalgic millennials to reminisce on some unusual kitchen staples from their childhood.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.