When some people think of licorice, they think of the black candy that tastes like medicine. Others may envision chewy red ropes. If we’re talking “real” licorice though, it’s actually black licorice that is considered real because it contains extract from the licorice plant’s roots. Red licorice is just an imitation candy made with strawberry, cherry or other flavours.
Glycyrrhizin, one of the compounds found in licorice root, makes licorice sweet—30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar!—but the extract itself also has some healthful benefits. It’s used in many herbal medicines and is supposed to help relieve stress. It’s even said that Alexander the Great gave his armies licorice to eat because it helped quench their thirst!
*Unless otherwise noted, all serving sizes are roughly 40 grams.