I am a black licorice fan, and have settled on Panda brand licorice, imported from Finland, as the most authentic and flavorful licorice. All natural and containing only four ingredients (molasses, wheat flour, licorice extract and aniseseed oil), it is soft and moist and really delivers the licorice flavor I crave. It is widely available in supermarkets and drug stores at $3-4 for a 7oz bag.
To bad about the aniseed oil. Otherwise I would have tried it. Does anyone these days make black licorice without anise?
My Mum used to buy me the occasional liquorice stick back in the 70s - I think she bought them from a health food shop, which would make sense.
I am guessing it’s added to make it softer, and without it it would be too hard to chew?
What are the licorice sticks that you bought at the market normally used for?
They were next to the candy and dried fruits, so I assume they are normally used for sucking and gnawing on in their raw form.
There is a store in Poulsbo, Washington that claims to sell more types of black licorice than any other store. For me, it is a must stop any time we stop by. The licorice category on their website has 421 entries.
I specifically use DGL licorice for stomach issues, with the problematic part removed. I don’t find it harms the flavor, though the chewable pill in question does replace it with xylitol. I actually think it tastes better than most licorice candies. The bitterness is less strong. (And I’m glad, as take it multiple times a day. It is theorized to increase mucus production in the esophageal tract and thus provide a barrier against reflux. However, that effect is somewhat negated by the GL which would irritate the digestive tract.)