Licorice candy has evolved from a sweet black preparation made from licorice root to a variety of colors and flavors, with anise often replaced by licorice root. Sour licorice is a newer creation, popular in various forms and flavors, but often containing no real licorice. Licorice has a long history of medicinal use and has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs.
Licorice has been enjoyed by generations of children and adults; historically the candy was a sweet black preparation made from licorice root. Today, licorice comes in many more colors than black, and its ingredients have also changed. Anise, an herb whose taste is similar to licorice, today is usually replaced with licorice root in many candy products to give them their sweet taste. Sour licorice is a similar type of licorice candy, like candy made with aniseed or licorice root, but with added flavors and colors to give it a more acidic flavor than the sweet licorice root types. Numerous varieties and tart flavors are available, including fruit flavors like watermelon, green apple, and blue raspberry.
Some manufacturers of traditional black licorice, including gourmet candy retailers, still use licorice extract as a primary ingredient. Sour licorice produced today does not contain any true licorice and is much less sweet than the original type, but both sour licorice and traditional flavors are very popular. Sour licorice descends from a long line of licorice treats, dating back to the 1200s with medicinal licorice sweetened with honey to form a licorice drop. By the 1500s, candy makers in Holland were extruding licorice into longer, leaner shapes similar to today’s licorice twists. Chemists working for the candy industry today make use of preservatives, flavors, sweeteners, and other ingredients to produce a wide variety of licorice shapes and flavors, including sour licorice.
Licorice has been consumed by marching armies since ancient times, but sour licorice is a relatively new creation. Candy makers started making the puckered-lip confection in the 1990s. Today, the sour variety comes in numerous forms, including long whips and extruded twists, small bars, and star shapes, sometimes coated in a sweet, contrasting sugar. Many of these products are sweetened with sugar or corn syrup and contain no real licorice.
Licorice is a perennial plant that some people throughout history have considered a weed, but licorice extract or juice is valued and expensive, leading to the use of other ingredients as substitutes in the manufacture of licorice candy products of today. Licorice has a long history of medicinal use. It has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs and has been mentioned in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Many centuries later, Napoleon Bonaparte kept a supply of licorice on the battlefield because it supposedly helped calm his nerves.
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