I grew up near the East coast and made my fair share of trips to the beach as a youngster. One of my favorite spots was a local and popular restaurant, the Sanitary Fish Market. What could possibly make a kid actually request to go to a seafood restaurant? Salt water taffy can. Oh, the joy of sticky, sweet goodness. Sure, we were able to watch taffy being made at the State Fair, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the taffy from Sanitary Fish Market. That was the best taffy my 14 year-old self had ever had.

I grew out of taffy as an adult… or so I had thought.

Read More »

When this month’s Licorice of the Month Club box arrived, I was a bit dismayed to be immediately confronted with a strong cinnamon smell. You see, I hate cinnamon. Not dislike a little, but hate. However, for the loyal Candy Addict readers out there, I decided I should give these little cinnamon dollars a shot. Here goes…

Hmm, they seem nice and soft, and if it weren’t for the smell, I would think they were a very promising example of red licorice. Now for the taste test.

Oh, yep, those are cinnamon. Very reminiscent of red hots or those disgusting cinnamon jelly beans you think are going to be cherry flavored and then end up having to spit out. Not absolutely hideous, but not something I would ever eat normally. Very soft, nice texture if a little bit sticky.

Overall, I think these would be good for someone looking for a mild cinnamon kick; they’re a pleasing texture and not too spicy. I, of course, will now be swiftly disposing of the rest of the bag and drinking milk to cleanse my mouth. Where oh where are my chocolate covered marshmallow bunnies…

• Buy Cinnamon Dollars at Licorice International

Today, April 12 is National Licorice Day! So go out and get yourself some licorice and celebrate! If you’re not into the real stuff (the black licorice), I heartily recommend some Red Vines – man they’re good.

If you are into the hard stuff, drop by Licorice International – they can hook you up with some good stuff. Take a browse through our licorice category for lots and lots of licorice reviews so you can find something really good.

So, what’s your favorite way to celebrate National Licorice Day?

• Red Vines
• Licorice International

Red Vines is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Red Vines Original Twist Trays by bringing back its drawing contest with lots of great prizes, including an educational scholarship or a vacation for four and the chance to have winning drawings featured on the Red Vines tray packaging.

Just create a Red Vines themed piece of art and you could win some great prizes! Take a look at the full contest details and reviews. You can also see some past winners’ artwork in the Red Vines gallery. There is some amazing artwork in there.

• Red Vines

red vines, contest, licorice

Another month, another delicious delivery from Licorice International’s Licorice of the Month Club. Truly, who could ask for more from life? This time around, I got to try Finnska Strawberry Bites, which are a red cousin to the black Sweet Finnish Licorice I tried last year.

Like the black, this red licorice from Finland is short and tubular, but there the similarities end. Unlike the black, the red is extremely moist and sticky to the touch. It’s a pleasant red color, but you have to lick your fingers after each piece or risk getting sticky muck all over the keys on your keyboard. That in and of itself would usually gross me out to no end, but here the surprise comes in – the flavor. They’re good! Really really good. Sweet and fruity (no natural flavors here, unfortunately), there’s really nothing to complain about. They definitely beat Twizzlers – even when Twizzlers are having a really good day – so if that’s your kind of thing, go get some… now! You won’t be disappointed.

• Finnska Strawberry Bites at Licorice International