How different can licorice be from other licorice?

Really different.

Some are subtle differences, some are…painfully clear. And to be REALLY clear, we’re talking about black licorice, not the lifelong battle between Red Vines & Twizzlers.

Licorice can be…just licorice tasting. Or, it could have notes of molasses, ammonia (nope, not kidding, many people like this ….not me), menthol, heat, or the most prevalent and my favorite: salt.

COOKING LESSON: SALT MAKES ALL THINGS TASTE MORE LIKE THAT THING, UNLESS YOU OVER SALT IT AND IT’S GROSS.

But salt is VERY important in bringing out flavors. And it’s no less important with licorice. But what about a double salt? Triple?

You get my vibe, there’s a lot going on. And Matty and I never tire of it, but we’ve tried a lot. So when we were approached by independent licorice reseller Best Black Licorice, I have to admit I was a bit…nonplussed by it. Sure, send some stuff, we’ll try it, but what I thought and expected was more ‘mid’ licorice. What we got though, was a nice variety, none of what I’d call boring. I want to talk about two of them. First, “Farm” licorice.

This one is SUPER dense and chewy-right up our alley. And just when you think the flavor has come and gone, the salt hits you (ever so gently) in the back of the mouth, and brings out even more flavor. This is the kind of licorice I could have two pieces of after every meal. I would NOT tire of it. And look how cute they are, we can play farm!

But that’s not the one that shocked me. Nope, the one that did me in was the Monkey Heads.

One look and I recognized the foamy/marshmallow consistency, which is a red flag for me. I don’t like those kinds of candies normally. Which means that it being my favorite in this batch is really weird. Did I mention it’s a slightly salty banana-tinged licorice? Is that even legal?

I FUCK with these big time. So fresh tasting, so different, and …so damn flavorful. Congrats Best Black Licorice, you got me. I’ve never heard of or seen these before, and I absolutely will buy them again. And you guys should too.

It’s fine and dandy to order candy from Amazon as we all do, but supporting a small company that’s making effort to select quality licorices from around the world, appeals to me more. it’s nice to have someone curating for you too — appreciated.