Has the recipe for Reese's changed? It depends on how you define "change"

For Rachel Handler, features writer at Vulture and New York Magazine, her investigation into Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups started after Brad Reese, the grandson of Reese’s inventor, complained about the chocolate on LinkedIn.

“When I when I first started talking to him, he was like, ‘I used to eat a Reese's cup every single day of my life,’” said Handler. “And he just came out swinging on and basically said, you know, this doesn't taste the same anymore.”

Hershey did admit to changing the recipe, according to the Associated Press, but maintained the identity of the cups was unchanged.

Handler consulted chocolate expert Beth Kimmerle, who reconstructed several historical Reese’s recipes to taste compare to the modern candy you can find on the shelf. And while today’s recipe was ultimately found wanting, the results weren’t totally conclusive. At one point during the test, Handler confused the modern recipe with the original.

“I felt really cocky,” said Handler. “I just was like, ‘OK, yeah, this is definitely one of the originals,’ but I was wrong and I thought that was fascinating. I think I think we've been trained as consumers to not to trust ourselves, not to trust our palates, not to trust our own experience.”

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Handler about her reporting.

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