This Just In: Twizzlers Aren't Actually Licorice

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You either love licorice or you hate it, but that sentiment doesn't exactly extend to Twizzlers, the chewy twisted vine candy that brings back memories of childhood. Twizzlers are one of the candies that you can eat even if you are vegan, and they come in flavors ranging from the uber popular strawberry to watermelon or even chocolate. Even though this style of gummy, vine-shaped candy is commonly referred to as "licorice," unless you pick up a pack of the black licorice flavor Twizzlers, you won't find actual licorice anywhere.

Traditional licorice candy, which is characterized by a distinct earthy, medicinal flavor, is typically black and comes in either hard or gummy styles — and not everyone likes it. The polarizing effect of licorice stems from the flavoring that gives the candy its name, which comes from a compound found in the roots of the Glycyrrhiza glabra plant. The compound, glycyrrhizin, not only creates the classic licorice flavor that traditional black licorice candy is made from, but it is also 50 to 100 times sweeter than table sugar, making it ideal for a unique candy ingredient. Since only Twizzlers that come in the black licorice flavor are made with licorice extract, they are the only ones that can technically be called licorice. 

Twizzlers traditional black licorice-flavored candies come in the twisted vine variety along with the bite-size variety. If you've never tried them (or any other brand of black licorice), there's a good chance you've still tried the flavor in some other concoction like Good and Plenty, a common movie theater snack that not everyone is a fan of. Or perhaps you've experienced something with a very similar flavor, like the Greek liqueur known as ouzo, which is flavored from anise or fennel seed. Regardless of the source, both of these products have a strong flavor that simply doesn't appear in the majority of Twizzlers products.

If you are into black licorice flavor, then Twizzlers Black Licorice Twists should hit the spot; fans tend to find it flavorful and fresh, even going so far as to say that Twizzlers' version is second only to the licorice you'd get from a small-town artisanal candymaker. There are plenty of ways to eat it, too. Beyond munching on it like any sweet snack, you can get creative and add it to your culinary repertoire by cutting up the vines and decorating orange or chocolate cakes and cupcakes with them. You can also take those chopped up bits and mix them with ingredients like nuts and pretzels for a licorice-based sweet and salty trail mix. Or, impress your friends with your bartending creativity by garnishing a martini with a black licorice stick. Just make sure they like the flavor, first.