Licorice candy

A chewy candy flavored with extract from the root of the licorice plant, usually black, made in ropes, twists, coins and small shapes.

Licorice candy: Twisted black licorice ropes and short licorice pieces on a slate board
  • Chocolate, sugar and confectionery

Also called: liquorice, liquorice candy

Licorice candy is made by cooking sugar, wheat flour or starch, licorice extract and often molasses into a thick paste that is extruded or molded. Licorice root has a naturally sweet, slightly bitter flavor, and anise is often added to deepen it. Red licorice and other fruit-flavored twists use the same chewy texture but usually contain no licorice root.

Licorice is especially loved in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Germany and Britain. Salty licorice, flavored with salmiak, is a northern European specialty.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Pontefract Allsorts: How liquorice got its roots in Pontefract, Wakefield Council Museums and Castles