# Black licorice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480 "2012-03-01T19:53:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/61 "2012-03-03T02:45:49Z")
Love it! My son and I love the Scotty Dog type fromTJ’s. Recently I found store-brand licorice bears (like gummybears) at CVS, of all places. They almost make up for the lack of TJ’s brand, which I can’t get as easily. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/62 "2012-03-03T04:30:18Z")
I love licorice. Ropes, twists, nibs, whips, records, buttons, pipes, any kind of licorice. There is a website called [licorice.com](http://licorice.com) but it’s acting kind of squirrely so here’s another one to hold you over : [http://www.licoriceinternational.com/licorice/pc/home.asp](http://www.licoriceinternational.com/licorice/pc/home.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/63 "2012-03-03T04:46:11Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Depends. > > American sweet black licorice: Yum. > Scandinavian salty black licorice: Yuck(-ish). this. It isn’t sodium chloride in Scandinavian licorice, it’s ammonium chloride. I feel like I’m eating somebody’s chemistry experiment. Otherwise, licorice is my favorite candy flavor. Above chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/64 "2012-03-03T05:03:13Z")
I love all forms of licorice. Trader Joe’s now has French Allsorts, which taste more like molasses than Bassetts do. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/65 "2012-03-03T05:35:19Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > this. It isn’t sodium chloride in Scandinavian licorice, it’s ammonium chloride. I feel like I’m eating somebody’s chemistry experiment. It’s more like eating a clump of pissy cat litter. In a good way. ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/66 "2012-03-03T06:09:53Z")
It never occurred to me that there were people who don’t like liquorice. Huh. It takes all sorts. I love liquorice and aniseed in all its manifestations. As kids, we used to fight over the blue and pink speckly ones in the Basset’s tin at christmas. Pernod and black was my coming-of-age poison. I had my first ever absinthe last year. It was heavenly. But I have been entirely addicted to scandinavian salt liquorice in recent years. I keep a big bag in the car. My wife thinks I get it because it’s the only candy she won’t steal, but i truly, truly love it. My local supplier doesn’t stock it any more so I’ll be off to sample Cost Plus’s wares on the morrow. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/67 "2012-03-03T06:28:59Z")
> [@kevlaw](#): > > It takes all sorts. … Boo. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/68 "2012-03-03T18:27:48Z")
Black licorice is awesome. Red licorice is evil. I can’t even stand the smell of it. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/69 "2012-03-03T21:09:42Z")
Every so often the kid will pause in the supermarket aisle, right next to the “Black Knight” licorice. She will look at me with an enquiring angle to her head and I will give her a defeated-before-I’ve-begun nod in return. She does not hesitate and grabs the box (not the bag) and flicks a glance of contempt towards the softer, sweeter varieties. The boxes of straps are in the hardest to reach part of the display, because they are the best and don’t need any help to be sold. If we’re very restrained, the box will still be sealed when we get home. If she’s very lucky, she might sprint off with a decent handful of straps. She knows there won’t be a second chance. Now I want some. The salty stuff is nice enough but I really can’t stand the sweeter, softer stuff. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/70 "2012-03-03T22:41:31Z")
So does America not have [Liquorice Allsorts](http://www.pushpr.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/licorice.jpg) then? ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/71 "2012-03-03T22:53:26Z")
It just bought five kinds of liquorice from Cost Plus World Market in the name of science. I didn’t find any of the scandinavian stuff. They had some dutch stuff (coins & cats) but it wasn’t nearly as good as the salted kind. It’s like they started to make salt liquorice but chickened out at the last second. It’s neither sweet nor salty. A bit bland really. None of the other kinds were interesting enough to say much about but I have discovered that I also love candied ginger. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/72 "2012-03-04T02:03:04Z")
I just walked out of World Market…the last couple times they didn’t have the Finnish salt licorice. I hope they haven’t permanently stopped selling it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/73 "2012-03-04T04:48:43Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > So does America not have [Liquorice Allsorts](http://www.pushpr.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/licorice.jpg) then? Yes, but it is not well-known here and it is a bit spendy. I love it and will buy it as a treat. I have been able to find the salty licorice in Schipol airport in the past. K&H is the most common brand. The salty onces are marked dobbel zoute (not sure about my spelling there). ---
**Author:** ![plankter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ba0ec/32.png) [@plankter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plankter)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/74 "2012-03-04T05:48:50Z")
Oh yes. The sweeter, softer, and more “molasses-y”, the better. Panda brand has a thick bar that some stores here carry. I love allsorts too but like **carnut** said they’re expensive here. One of the first online purchases I ever made was a two kilo bag of allsorts. Trader Joes has their own version but I found them to be too hard and not sweet enough. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I like all black licorice, but especially Australian-style soft black licorice. The soft black licorice from Trader Joe’s is the best. TMI fun fact: eating more than half the tub at one sitting will turn your poo dark green. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/75 "2012-03-04T06:10:59Z")
Voted meh. I don’t like the taste of licorice, but I don’t hate it. Let’s just say I haven’t sought it out ever, and in the 20-25 years since I was a kid I haven’t had it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/76 "2012-03-11T07:07:23Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > I’ve seen bags of black-only jelly beans around Easter time. Hey! That’s now! > > BTW, I was in a store recently that sold “olde-tyme” candies & they had boxes of “Crows,” which are “Dots” that are all black licorice flavored. There was a moment when I wondered if that could be considered slightly racist, but that didn’t stop me from buying it & eating the whole box! > > 🆒 > [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Those Crows aren’t really black but very, very dark green. > [@kath94](#): > > Okay, smarty pants. But they’re still licorice-flavored. They’re slightly racist toward dark-skinned Martians. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/77 "2012-03-12T19:19:19Z")
It’s just nasty - even Honey Badger won’t eat it. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/78 "2012-03-12T20:10:11Z")
I don’t know. I love black jelly beans and have often bought a bag of them (Brachs). If given the choice, I’d choose black jelly beans over chocolate every time. I love anise cookies. I detest good 'n plenty but not because of the licorice. That candy coating is revolting. I have never had salt licorice, absinthe, or allsorts. I’d like to try some. I’ve never heard of this world market thingamajig you keep mentioning so I’ll have to check somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/79 "2012-03-13T04:47:46Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Depends. > > American sweet black licorice: Yum. > Scandinavian salty black licorice: Yuck(-ish). You know what, I don’t think America can lay claim to any licorice, it’s all European AFAIK. I mean, I’m sure there’s someone in the US making licorice, but it’s not something that originated there. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480/80 "2012-03-13T04:49:48Z")
> [@kevlaw](#): > > I didn’t find any of the scandinavian stuff. They had some dutch stuff (coins & cats) but it wasn’t nearly as good as the salted kind. It’s like they started to make salt liquorice but chickened out at the last second. It’s neither sweet nor salty. A bit bland really. You’re not buying the right kind. I know the coin licorice, and that’s not meant to be salty. Look for \*zout \*or _dubbelzout_, if you want salty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-licorice/614480.md?page=5)