There are many different kinds; some are excellent, some are awful as all hell. common kinds of licorice include:

licorice allsorts--licorice with funny sweet sugary stuff, often with a texture of dried frosting on them layered and swirled and patterned in. The licorice in these is usually very low-grade licorice

licorice jellybeans and licorice twists--at least "twizzlers" style twists. in 99% of cases, just plain godawful. America is one of the few countries that makes licorice in this form, America just can't make goood licorice (and yes i am american -_-). Even JellyBelly, whose beans are execellent, can't make licorice beans worth anything.

hard licorice--licorice buttons and the sort. Hard, do-not-chew-or-you-will-break-teeth type of extreme gummi-candy. It is not hard candy as in peppermint-type hard candy but an immensely firm chew. Extremely good to suck on, sometimes leave a funny aftertaste.

licorice drop, licorice stick or licorice candy--this is the 'hard candy' sort of licorice. Relatively good, but it is hard to get a really strong licorice taste into that form. Often ends up tasting like hoarhound instead. found in either 'drop' or dime-'stick'-candy form.

licorice pastels--good-n-plenty's and their cousins. the only american form of licorice to have any resemblance to "real" licorice. (america is not the only place these are made, this is just the only type they can't spoil). A thin licorice 'rope' covered in a candy shell. usually good

"bar licorice"--the best form of licorice. IMHO, the best 'bar' is made in Finland. Bar licorice is to die for. Even if you dont think you like licorice, try this. It's soft and chewy, has a good solid texture. Often made with molassas, so it tastes different than "standard" licorice, but it is just as strong and amazingly good. This is harder to find than the rest, but worth the time

Lic"o*rice (?), n. [OE. licoris, though old French, fr. L. liquiritia, corrupted fr. glycyrrhiza, Gr. ; sweet + root. Cf. Glycerin, Glycyrrhiza, Wort.] [Written also liquorice.]

1. Bot.

A plant of the genus Glycyrrhiza (G. glabra), the root of which abounds with a juice, and is much used in demulcent compositions.

2.

The inspissated juice of licorice root, used as a confection and medicinal purposes.

Licorice fern Bot., a name of several kinds of polypody which have rootstocks of a sweetish flavor. -- Licorice sugar. Chem. See Glycyrrhizin. -- Licorice weed Bot., the tropical plant Scapania aulcis. -- Mountain licorice Bot., a kind of clover (Trifolium alpinum), found in the Alps. It has large purplish flowers and a sweetish perennial rootstock. -- Wild licorice. Bot. (a) The North American perennial herb Glycyrrhiza lepidota. (b) Certain broad-leaved cleavers (Galium circaezans and G. lanceolatum). (c) The leguminous climber Abrus precatorius, whose scarlet and black seeds are called black-eyed Susans. Its roots are used as a substitute for those of true licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra).

 

© Webster 1913.

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