Liquorice

Liquorice… love it or hate it?

Liquorice is a sweet that is traditionally flavoured with the plant of the same name, and it is believed that this type of sweet was first made in Holland in the early 1600s.
‘Liquorice’ sometimes has a different spelling – ‘licorice’, and is also known as ‘black licorice’.
Licorice is often moulded in the shape of large straps, rope, or cylindrical shapes, although many other shapes are also available.
Liquorice, and is sometimes combined with other ingredients like chocolate or sweet candy to make confectionery like liquorice allsorts and chocolate bullets,
The main ingredients of liquorice is sugar, flavouring and wheat flour, and often molasses is used, as well as a shiny glaze such as bee wax, while Dutch licorice has a significant quantity of salt added to give it a salty flavour.

Liquorice is generally made by melting and cooking the ingredients, then pouring the mixture into a mould, or hand shaping the mixture, and then cooled.
Liquorice traditionally contains a sweetener, glycyrrhizin, found in the flavouring extract, which has potentially significant negative side effects if too much is eaten at once, including rises in blood pressure, heart failure and swelling, although some positive effects can also be experienced, including the removal of mucous from the respiratory system.
Although liquorice is typically black, red and other coloured versions are also manufactured, and they mostly come in different flavours.
Some liquorice products contain anise or aniseed, instead of, or in addition to licorice root extract, due to the similar flavour it has.
Liquorice is generally low in fat, and it also has a lower sugar and carbohydrate content compared to other confectionery.

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