# Do you like the flavor of licorice? **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-the-flavor-of-licorice/1026071 **Category:** Cafe Society **Created:** [December 26, 2025, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-the-flavor-of-licorice/1026071 "2025-12-26T14:42:53Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Showing post:** 66
### Author: ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid) #### Post date: [December 27, 2025, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-the-flavor-of-licorice/1026071/66 "2025-12-27T12:41:14Z")
I cross posted this [here](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-taste-work/1025858/16), and as @Johanna points out trans-anethole, the part of anise perceived by most as licorice flavor, is not actually present in significant amounts in licorice root, but it may help partly explain why candies that use anise or other sources of trans-anethole as “licorice” result in a great divide: > In 2012, a landmark study published in _Nature Neuroscience_ identified a genetic variant in the olfactory receptor gene _OR7D4_ that directly correlates with perception of trans-anethole. Researchers discovered that individuals carrying two copies of the RT allele (rs6591536) perceive trans-anethole as intensely sweet and pleasant—often describing it as “anise,” “fennel,” or “candy-like.” Those with two copies of the WM allele, however, report it as overwhelmingly unpleasant—“urinous,” “sweaty,” or “rotten.” Heterozygotes (one of each) fall somewhere in between, often neutral or mildly negative. > > This isn’t theoretical. The RT/WM polymorphism affects roughly 15–20% of Europeans, 30–40% of East Asians, and up to 55% of West Africans --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-like-the-flavor-of-licorice/1026071)._