Derived from the root of the herbaceous perennial Glycyrrhiza glabra, which is a legume native to southern Europe and parts of Asia, licorice is a delicious confectionery that comes in a wide range of varieties and flavours.

Of these, ‘black licorice’ (American), ‘drop’ (Dutch) and ‘licorice all-sorts’ (English) are the most popular. Not all licorice is flavoured with the licorice extract Glycyrrhizin, which is much sweeter than glucose, and not all licorice products share the same texture; some are sweet and some are salty, and some are soft and others chewy.

Confectioners often stock soft or chewy black and red licorice, but many more colours and flavours can be found online! Besides big confectioners like Darrell Lea® and Cadbury® (who own Pascall®), there are many smaller confectioners who produce great-tasting licorice, and often in more varieties!

Many of these have online stores, so why not pay a visit and try something you haven’t had before? There’s nothing easier than ordering licorice online!

Black Licorice Drops Recipe

Ingredients: 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of light corn syrup, 1/4 tablespoon of anise extract, 1 tablespoon of black food colouring

Method: Set the pot over a medium heat. Add the sugars, water and light corn syrup and stir until it has been brought to boil.
At boiling point, wash the sugar crystals down from the side of the pot.
Place a thermometer in the pot and cook (without stirring) until it has reached 143°C (289.4°F).
Then remove the pot from the heat and add the anise extract and black food colouring, stirring gently.
Make sure the licorice is nice and soft, then use a teaspoon to create the drops, on a greased baking sheet, covered with wax paper.
Set it to cool on the bench.