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I first fell in love with licorice when I was a child. I love licorice because of the distinct flavor of sweet and slightly bitter. My father and Ioften went to our local sweet shop to buy some, and I have been addicted to licorice ever since, so I guess you can call me a licorice connoisseur!
In this guide, you'll find9 varieties of licorice brands included in our sweet hampers which are perfect for gifting to any sweet tooth.
The Best Licorice Brands Tested & Reviewed
There are a lot of brands of licorice that don’t contain licorice.We’ve picked 9 licoricemanufacturers that produce delicious licorice snacks using authentic licorice extract:
| Product | Key feature |
|---|---|
| 1. Wiley Wallaby Classic Black Licorice | Australian-style black licorice |
| 2. Darrell Lea Soft Australian Licorice | Hand-crafted non-GMO licorice |
| 3. TWIZZLERS Black Licorice Candy | Sweet-spicy, low-fat licorice twists |
| 4. Panda All Natural Soft Licorice | All-natural licorice made with molasses |
| 5. Tara’s Handcrafted Black Licorice Caramel | All-natural caramels with licorice and anise |
| 6. SweetGourmet Italian Black Licorice Wheels | Old-fashioned classic licorice twists |
| 7. Red Vines Black Licorice Twists | Fat-free black licorice twists |
| 8. RJ’s Soft Eating Licorice | Black licorice made with natural ingredients |
| 9. Fazer Super Salmiakki | Salty licorice made in Finland |
But, if you’re a lover of red licorice (the type that doesn’t usually contain any actual extract) Some of these brands also offerthis option.
Let’s dive in and look at why eachproduct is one of my licorice choices!
1.Wiley Wallaby Classic Black Licorice
The bag is filled with Australian-inspired licorice.
The texture is soft and chewy and it’s exactly what licorice lovers are looking for in their black snacks of choice.
Togive this black licorice its authentic flavor, the manufacturer uses real licorice extract and star anise oil that greatly enhances the licorice flavor.
Palm oil from sustainable sources is also one of the ingredients in Willey Wallaby black licorice.
2.Darrell Lea Soft Australian Licorice
Darrell Lea makes some of the most authentic licorice available. They have been making this licorice in Australia and perfecting its process for over 100 years!
First, it is created using real licorice extract and the addition of oil from anise seeds to enhance the flavor.
Furthermore, it doesn’t contain anypalm oil, a major step towards more sustainable production.Third, Darrell Lea’s Black Licorice has no genetically-modified additives or preservatives.
Its texture is soft and chewymaking it an enjoyable eating experience.
Darrell Lea also produces strawberry and mango-flavored licorice, as well as sugar-free licorice for health-conscious consumers.The licorice uses recyclable packaging, another point in its favor.
3.TWIZZLERS The Black Licorice Candy
You can't go wrong with handy packets of TWIZZLERS Black Licorice.
These long licorice twists come with an effervescent, sweet-spicy taste as they are made from the extract of licorice and other ingredients.
Texture again is key as apart from taste and Twizzlers does not disappoint on either score.
If you’re a lover of red licorice, you can also purchasethat version of the same candy.
4.Panda All Natural Soft Licorice
If you wantthe most nutritious licorice available on the market, look no further than Panda all-natural sweet licorice.
The list of ingredients for the licorice-based treats is impressively short.
They are madefrom molasses, which contains a high nutritional value and is rich in protein. It also offers an explosion of sugar and carbohydrates that provide energy.
Panda Licoricecontainsaniseed oil, wheat flour as a natural flavoring agent, and, of course, the extract of licorice.
Panda black licorice is packaged in an open-top zip-top container, which you canclose after opening to ensure it stays fresh.We believe you’ll be able to take to these the way a pandadoes to bamboo.
5.Tara’s Handcrafted Black Licorice Caramel
Tara’s gourmet black licorice candy is the perfect present for licorice connoisseurs. The candies are individually wrapped and packaged in a transparent glass jar that is stunning to display.
The candy is flavoredwith natural licorice flavoring, which originates from the root of licorice.With the anise flavoring, you get delicious candies with a perfect mixture of bitter and sweet.
Thesweets alsocontain corn syrup-sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, heavy cream butter, and a couple of other ingredients.
The candiesare made by hand in small-scale batches, so you are assured that you will get the same taste and texturein each jar.
The texture is soft and smooth,with abuttery caramel taste. Also, you won’t experience the irritable feeling of thesweets sticking to your teeth.
6.SweetGourmet Italian Black Licorice Wheels
The black licorice candysweets from SweetGourmet are a classic Italian delight!
They are among the top candy to try if the licorice flavor in the traditional wheel form is what you like.
These low-calorie sweets make a greattreat for anyone who loves licorice.
The first time I tried thesewas when I was in Rome, Italy – wow, they just had to go into this guide.
7.Red Vines Black Licorice Twists
This Red Vines Licorice, which comes in a 4-pack is a must-try.
Old-fashioned black licorice twists fill the box, flavored with authentic extracts of licorice. A delicious and chewy treat for your sweet tooth.
Also included in the ingredients are wheat flour, corn syrup, and molasses.Similar to the majority of licorice candy available, the ones made from Red Vines also contain anise flavor.
8.The Soft Eating Licorice From RJ’s
RJ’s Soft Eating Licorice is a great choice for thosewho want their licoricetreats made from all-natural ingredients.
Thesweetscontain wheat flour, sugar from cane Molasses, glucose syrup, and other ingredients.But the main thing is that they are flavoredwith natural extracts of licorice and aniseed oil.Therefore, rest assured you’ll get the real licorice flavors.
The licorice, produced in New Zealand, are not only free of artificial colorants and flavors but are also nut-free.So, unlike other brands of licorice, they are safe for people who have nut allergies.
RJ’s Soft Eating Licorice is packaged in a resealable package that is environmentally friendly and also provides airtight storage for any unlikely leftover candy.
9.Fazer Super Salmiakki (Finnish Salty Licorice)
Salmiak licorice, also known as salty licorice, is a very popular specialty of licorice in Finland.Thesweets are great for people looking to enjoy a stronger taste than ordinary black licorice.
You will receive 25 fat-free licorice pastilles inside the bag that contains Fazer Super Salmiakki.
By adding menthol to their licorice sweets, the company has enhanced the Salmiakki flavor with astringency.
In contrast to soft and chewy twists of licorice, these snacks from Fazer are hard, round pastilles.However, despite thevariation in the texture, these pastillescontain real licorice extract, too.
What Is Licorice?
Licorice is asweet treat flavored with extract from the root of the licorice tree--Glycyrrhiza Glabra.This plant is indigenousto Southern Europe and Western Asia and has been used for treating various diseases for hundreds of years.
Licorice root contains antimicrobial properties and is used to treat stomach pain, sore throats, skin inflammation, and infections.
However, its most common use is in sweets, which is why the term“licorice” is often used to refer to confections made with extracts of licorice.
Confectioners include mint, menthol, and laurel to make delicious licorice-flavored candies. Some incorporate aniseedoil as it allows for a similar taste without adding licorice extract.
Black and Red Licorice
If you look up licorice, you’ll see blackANDred licorice.
It can be confusing because the black and red licorice appear similar and might taste the same, but the ingredients are totally different.It is difficult to know how differently black and red sweets are made of licorice until you go through the ingredients lists.
This is what makes black and red licorice distinct:
Red licorice
There is typicallyno actual licorice extract.Red Licorice is created to look similar to black licorice andcontains ingredients different from black.
Black Licorice
Some companies don't add natural licorice to their product as in red licorice, so if you are looking for authentic licorice candy made with extracts of licorice, black licorice is where to begin.
Black licorice can be sold as a sweet treat and a treatment for stomach pains and other gastrointestinal problems.
If the real licorice ingredient isn’t importantto you and delicious sweets are what you want, then you should choose red licorice.
In addition to black and red licorice, you may also discover licorice of different flavors and colors, such as watermelon, mango, orange, apple, mango, etc.
The Variety of Licorice Treats
When you are choosing a licorice treat, there are three aspects to take into consideration if you’re looking for high-quality candy:
Ingredients List
As we’ve mentioned, someconfectioners who make licorice includeaniseed oil instead of flavoring their sweets with real licorice root.
If you’re searching for authentic licorice-flavored candies look over the list of ingredients to ensure that genuine extracts of licorice areincorporated to flavor the candy and not just aniseed oil.
It’s also important to pick treats that don’t have artificial flavors, are too high in sugar, or are genetically modified.If you’re trying to reduceyour calorie intake it can be helpful to determine the number of calories in a licorice-based candy and see whether it’s fat-free or not.
Texture
Choose licorice with a pleasantly chewy texture.
When you purchase licorice, you can easily feel the texturethroughthe soft packaging. Look through customer reviews on the internet to learn more about the texture of the licorice you’rethinking ofbuying.
If you are looking for softer sweets made of licorice, choose those advertised as licorice candy since they tend to bemore springy with a more pleasing texture.
Flavor
Some licorice, in addition to being sweet due to the addition of extract of licorice,is enhanced by other flavors.
If you’re bored with plain black licorice and are looking to experiment with something different, then buy black licorice with the added flavor of fresh menthol, caramel,and others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which licorice brands are safe to eat during pregnancy?
A study suggests that pregnant women may want to avoid licorice, which may affect their children’s cognitive abilities. Licorice contains glycyrrhizin, a sweetener derived from the root of the licorice plant, and is used to flavor candies, soft drinks, herbal teas, and other products.
Which licorice brands are vegan?
Many are vegan-friendly and include Twizzlers, Red Vines, Wiley Wallaby’s, and Panda’s licorice. However, the most popular licorice candies (i.e., not soft licorice) are not vegan-friendly.
