A few weeks ago I asked “Who actually likes black licorice?” in a poll. The final results are in. With 100 people that responded, 54% do like it, 43% don’t, and 3% never tried it. That’s pretty close to 50% of people that do like it. I guess I just don’t know the right people because of the 6 or 7 people I know that I asked, 0% like black licorice.
We had some interesting comments on the poll too, be sure and check those out if this topic interests you. Thanks to all that responded!
I love black licorice of every shape and size. I almost bought a bag of black jellybeans today, but I resisted temptation. I would have scarfed down those free black vines like a hungry 10 year old. I went on an all licorice site yesterday to read about licorice from around the world. Yummy.
March 23rd, 2006 at 4:49 pmI LOVE black licorice….the blk jelly beans are my favorite!!!
June 2nd, 2006 at 2:21 pmThe best black licorice is the salty Dutch variety (dropjes).
Now THAT stuff separates the men from the boys.
RESPONSE: I KNOW I couldn’t handle that :)
August 11th, 2006 at 4:57 pm–Brian
It does seem to be a mostly scandinavian thing. Especially with the consumption of a variety of salmiakki liquorices (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalmiak) stopping south of Netherlands. By the way Tim, although often mixed together in candies, black liquorice and Dutch liquorice (another name for salmiakki) are two separate things.
P.S. Very interesting site you have here, Brian.
August 12th, 2006 at 3:11 amHi -
I have never posted anything anywhere before so please forgive me if i end up posting this more than once. I came across your site looking for licorice. I love black licorice – my favorite being licorice allsorts. However, I am looking for a kosher brand and can’t seem to find anything. Does anyone know if kosher licorice allsorts exist?
Thanks!
February 1st, 2007 at 12:48 ami hate it with a passion, it taste like death
February 27th, 2007 at 8:54 pmFind any Scandinavian and you will most likely find a black licorice fan.
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:49 pmblack licorice is the best in the world and nobody can say anything about it. the red kind sucks and jake e. knows it. so to everyone thats hatin on the black licorice ;; ima make you eat it just like im going to with jake.
thank you.
July 4th, 2007 at 1:02 amHello,
I absolutely love black licorice, any type and flavor! It’s my favorite candy, and I wish all regular grocery stores carried it here in America. I am still trying to figure out why Americans refer to the red vines as licorice? I believe that to truly appreciate the different varieties of salty licorice, you have to grow up eating it. I was raised in Denmark and kids there really love it! I’ve tried introducing licorice to people who are unfamiliar with it, and they always spit it out! I guess their tastebuds aren’t used to the sophisticated flavors…
July 5th, 2007 at 3:08 pmI ADORE black licorice! I have since I was a child. But I was raised with it. My father is scandanavian and loves the salted kind. I like the sweet kind. Good and Plenty are my favorite, I love black vines, love black jelly beans…I love it all. MMMMmmmmmmm. My son, who’s two, loves it to, and so does my roommate.
November 4th, 2007 at 3:26 pmI actually do like black licorice!
[all my friends think it is insane, too]
the kookaburra licorice is my favorite, but red vines brand is good too.
: ]
November 19th, 2007 at 11:24 pmI/love/black/licorice!
March 14th, 2008 at 12:48 pmI love black licorice. i am norwegian, I have heard that it’s a scandanavian thing. But I like things that really engage your taste buds and make you fully aware that you are eating something. Eating black licorice does not go unnoticed by your brain.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:35 amMy family is German, and we all love black licorice. My daughters like the red stuff–but just the smell of it makes me ill. I’ll take black licorice ANY day!
August 14th, 2008 at 6:56 pmYou either love it or can’t stand it. It’s like a litmus test, some get it some don’t.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:30 pmI love black licorice. My fave is black licorice salt water taffy from taffyshop.com – YUMMY! I like black jelly beans but they are sometimes too sugary. I’ve had black licorice ice cream and it was pretty good.
The stronger ones are too much for me yet I like the taste of original Nyquil. Go figure.
Evelyn
The people of this world are not separated by rich or poor, white or black, men or women, tall or short, Christian or Muslim, etc. We are divided only by our preference to red or black licorice.
To the Black Licorice people:
Your numbers are plenty but your evil desires betray you. The Red Licorice lovers are watching; we see you eating your pipes and finishing all your Jujubes.
The Red Licorice lovers of the world will unite and protect the world against your evil plans. The day of reckoning is upon you! (I’m not exactly sure of how you plan to take over this planet and enslave us all but I’m working on it. I can’t do everything myself you know; a little assistance would be nice).
September 29th, 2008 at 5:03 pmI am broken hearted to find out that Running Rabbit Licorice is apparently out of business. I loved it. The closest I can now find is Black Ace. If anyone has a suggestion for a similar licorice let me know!
November 16th, 2008 at 2:46 amRed licorice is incorrect. It should be called fruit flavored gummy stuff. There is a wide range of licorice flavor from very sweet to very salty. I compare black licorice likability to that of the drink Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew. Or sliced tomatoes, where some will salt them and others will sugar the slices. It is more an environmental problem. Also, black licorice can raise your blood pressure and be a laxative, depending on your genetics.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:31 pmI second that only the black stuff (made with licorice root) should be called licorice. The other colored and flavored stuff is simply not licorice. (Seriously – for all of those who don’t get it – read up and you’ll learn that only the black stuff contains licorice root so, duh, the other colored stuff cannot and should not be called “licorice”.)
I LOVE all kinds of licorice candy – the real (black) stuff. Well, other than that salted stuff. And Sen Sens, which kinda taste like incense. In both those cases, it is not the licorice or anise taste that turns me off, but the other tastes in combination with it.
I didn’t like licorice when I was a little kid (not sure why – maybe because no one around me ate it). But some time around age 10 or in my early teens I started liking it. By then, I was chewing licorice gum and eating Black Crows, Good’n'Plenty, and all the other licorice candy I could find.
My sister-in-law sends me a box of assorted licorice candies every Christmas. I told her it is a great present because I don’t have to worry about anyone stealing any of the licorice – my husband and four kids all hate it!
I think that one day it will be discovered that there is a certain type of receptor on our taste buds that determines if people like licorice or not.
Black licorice – YUM!
December 27th, 2008 at 11:49 pmI will argue that only older people like black licorice.
I hated it hated it HATED IT until I was about 14. Because no matter how much I hated the black jelly beans, I loved how much I hated them. I slowly learned my love for it around 17-18. Now, at 23, in the Army, you can hardly find me without a pocket full of black licorice.
My favorite as of late is this German licorice, it comes in the shape of fishes and is salted. I cannot tell you how much I love that brand. Black licorice is by far my biggest vice in life. I love it, and I love having everyone give me all their licorice because of how much they hate it.
Even now, I’m sitting here at the computer with a tin of licorice altoids in front of me.
Hand rolled skinny cigars were to Clint Eastwood as a solid chunk of licorice is to me.
Near where I live, there is a confectionary shop that still has all the glass jars that hold bulk candy. They have this British Double-Salted licorice that even at first was too much for me at the time. But jeez, learning to love those was one of my favorite memories in my life so far. Even the little old people who owned the shop commended me for being able to eat them.
Today before I found this site, I came across black licorice ice cream. Man, I seriously hope that I get several pints of that come birthday time.
Still never had a cavity to this day.
January 29th, 2009 at 2:00 pmI think Kayemmdee is right about scientists eventually discovering a taste bud receptor on our tongues that determines whether or not we like the taste of black licorice. Both my parents love the taste and I’m absolutely obsessed with it. Most of my friends who don’t like it have also told me their parents cannot stand the taste either so I definitely think it’s a genetic thing.
And I’ve always loved black licorice, I don’t think it has anything to do with age.
February 1st, 2009 at 8:34 pmI came across your site as I was surfing the net for authentic Australian black licorice, the kind made with molasses and licorice root, with flour as the first ingredient, not sugar. When I read that you had an entire bag to give away and couldn’t find any takers, I was astonished. Mmmmmmm. Black licorice is a sneaky little obsession of mine. When I find the authentic, soft, chewy, black on the outside and brownish in the middle kind I really love, I buy it, regardless of the price…and hide it just for myself. Nobody else in my family likes it, I’m the only one. So why do I hide it? I don’t want to get them started!
February 5th, 2009 at 4:06 amI HATE IT whoever invented in should of been killed because they sent this condemmned, evil substance in to our lives! The taste is unforgivably awful and the people who love it, black or red, have something terribly wrong with them. None of my family like it and whoever does like it should be shameful. It looks and tastes like the devils black rubber or red rubber.
June 11th, 2012 at 1:55 pm