Horehound Candy tastes similar to licorice.
I tried it once and didn’t like it. That’s surprising because I like root beer and licorice.
Link What is Horehound Candy? Uncover the Old-Fashioned Sweet's Secrets
From what I’ve seen, horehound is more often used as a cough drop than as a treat.
I grew horehound one time, and that did not smell like something I would want to eat.
I like horehound, but I’ve never noticed the slightest resemblance to licorice…
Real horehound gives me heart palpitations, and not in a good way. It took a while to figure that one out.
You’re correct, that’s me. But I grew up in PNW from midwest parents, who are a bit flabbergasted that I like anise and herbal liqueurs.
My office had a combination of Swiss, German, American (me), and Serbian. I think all the Germans liked the salty licorice, and about half of the Swiss.
I cross posted this here, 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
I could have sworn that I saw it included in candy stick displays, and it was striped. The only ones I found online are solid brown.
I would always choose horehound, when I had the option.
I can’t get spicy Italian sausage here, so I have to add spices to make my own. I always add plenty of fennel - but not too much, as it can take over.
I think speech-to-text must have misheard you. What did you really mean?
My own taste in licorice is pretty basic. Moist or soft is gross. My fave is the American Licorice Company Black Vines. I open the package and let it age a couple weeks to a month before eating. Depends on how humid the environment. When aged to perfection it’s about the consistency of beef jerky. Not yet brittle, but dry and chewy and stretchy. Perfection!
Thank you for bringing it up. Truly. I was having a hard time with copy-paste on my phone.
ETA: I also get irrationally annoyed when anybody applies the licorice label to a candy that is not anise-flavored.
My hate for licorice is only in very small part about the taste. It’s neither good nor bad, just very distinct. But as a kid I always resented how it could displace top-shelf candies in a Halloween bag or other gift assortment. Very much a “looking the gift horse in the mouth” situation.
So over time I came to regard licorice as a wretched, miserly fraud perpetuated by old people who didn’t want to spring for the good stuff, and now the faintest whiff of anise triggers this revulsion for me.
Hear here! And a hearty Huzzah! Anyone referring to noxious artificial strawberry or raspberry candy as “red licorice” will be soundly beaten with the whole package.
Licorice-whipped, even!
Well, noxious red rope-whipped actually.
But yeah, when I wrote that I enjoyed setting out the pun potential with those candies sometimes being called “whips”. Thanks for stepping up to the plate for a swing. 
I feel that way toward applying the licorice label to anything black that doesn’t contain real Glycyrrhiza glabra.
Wow. If I could have more than 2 copies of that WM, I’d guess that I had at least 5. That’s what licorice tastes like to me-- something bad that I should spit out. You know, when you are little, you mother will tell you don’t eat this, or that? don’t eat those berries, or put this in your mouth? Licorice is kinda what I imagine a lot of those things tasting like.
Do you know what I’m talking about when I talk about being given a little strip of paper in school, and you taste it? About half the class says “Ick,” but doesn’t get upset about it, 1/4 of the class can’t taste anything, and the other quarter can’t get it out of their mouths fast enough, and ask to get a drink to rinse the taste out, it’s so bad? I’m in the last group.
Has that got anything to do with these other chemicals?
Oh I remember that! Took a bit to find it on search though -
More about it.
Not sure if all that should be taken with grain of salt or if that would mess up the test!
OK, good post, just for the record I didn’t bring up trans-anethole as such, but thanks. My disagreement with puzzlegal over the taste of G. glabra was just IMHSI (in my humble sense impression), not a scientific analysis, not trying to say she’s wrong either, because what do I know
Sure it’s interesting that it actually triggers different sensations in different people.
I love cabbage fried with bacon, and just a little bit of fennel. First time I made it, I overdid it, and you are right - it WILL take over. Bay leaf flavor can too, if one isn’t careful.
I got a package of these yesterday, marked down, and I’m going to take them to my volunteer job, because while I liked them, they didn’t like me! I was burping that anise flavor for HOURS afterwards; okay, maybe I overindulged but I really don’t want to eat them again.
I don’t care for black licorice, but love salmiakki.