Liquorice (confectionery)

Liquorice(Commonwealth English) orlicorice(American English; seespelling differences;IPA:/ˈlɪkərɪʃ,-ɪs/LIK-ər-ish, -⁠iss)is aconfectionusually flavoured and coloured black with theextractof the roots of the liquorice plantGlycyrrhiza glabra.
A variety of liquorice sweets are produced around the world. In North America,black liquoriceis distinguished from similar confectionery varieties that do not contain liquorice extract but are manufactured in the form of similarly shaped chewy ropes or tubes and often calledred liquorice. Black liquorice, together withaniseextract, is also a common flavour in other forms of confectionery such asjellybeans.Various liquorice sweets are sold in the United Kingdom, such asliquorice allsorts. Dutch, German and Nordic liquorice typically containsammonium chlorideinstead ofsodium chloride, prominently so insalty liquorice, which carries a salty rather than sweet flavour.
The essential ingredients of black liquorice confectionery are liquorice extract, sugar, and a binder. The base is typicallystarch/flour,gum arabic,gelatinor a combination thereof. Additional ingredients are extra flavouring,beeswaxfor a shiny surface, ammonium chloride andmolasses. Ammonium chloride is mainly used in salty liquorice candy, with concentrations up to about 8%. However, even regular liquorice candy can contain up to 2% ammonium chloride, the taste of which is less prominent because of the higher sugar concentration.Some liquorice candy is flavoured withaniseoil instead of or in combination with liquorice root extract, because anise has a very similar flavour.
In England in 1614,Sir George Savileinvented the liquorice format still known asPontefract cakeswhen he stamped discs of liquorice with the image ofPontefract Castle.The Dunhill company are credited with the development of liquorice as a confection by adding sugar in 1760.
During manufacturing, the ingredients are dissolved in water and heated to 135 °C (275 °F). In order to obtain sweets of the desired shapes, the liquid is poured into molds that are created by impressing holes into a container filled with starch powder. The liquid is then dried and the resulting sweets are sprayed with beeswax to make their surface shiny.
The liquorice-root extract contains the natural sweetenerglycyrrhizin, which is over 50 times sweeter thansucrose. Daily consumption of 50 g or more of liquorice candy for as little as two weeks may increase blood pressure by a small amount.Glycyrrhizin can causepotassiumlevels in the body to fall, triggering abnormalheart rhythms,edema(swelling),lethargy, andcongestive heart failurein some people.
Excessive black liquorice consumption can causechloride-resistantmetabolic alkalosisandpseudohyperaldosteronism.In one particularly extreme case from 2020, a man fromMassachusettsate a bag and a half of black liquorice every day for several weeks, leading to death due to chronic high levels ofglycyrrhetinic acid, a principal metabolite of glycyrrhizinic acid. The resultant pseudohyperaldosteronism led tohypokalemiaso severe that the man suffered a fatal heart attack.
In many countriesthere is also a product sometimes known asred liquorice(red licorice), with a recipe very similar to a common type of liquorice confection (a starchy or gummy binder with sugar added, extruded into the shape of a rope or tube with a chewy consistency), but instead ofliquoriceis made with other flavourings such asstrawberry,cherry,raspberry, orcinnamon. More recently, products have been introduced in a wider variety of colours andflavours, includingapple,mango,blackcurrant, andwatermelon.
While the common name for these confections has become "red liquorice" or often simply "liquorice" due to their shape and texture, they do not have the taste of liquorice since there is no actual liquorice in them. "Black" in "black liquorice" would formerly have been redundant, but has become aretronymin North America.