Liquorice

What’s the story behind this polarising confectionary?

My Gran loved liquorice, but she was not a liquorice connoisseur. Bertie Basset’s Allsorts were her particular poison of choice and I use the word ‘poison’ quite deliberately as I hate the stuff. Berties’ mainly comprise various forms of sugar, including molasses and glucose syrup, wheat flour, starch, gelatine, and vegetable oil. Liquorice extract comes way down on the ingredients list, but it is at least present. In the U.S. black ‘licorice’ candy (they even spell it differently) generally contains no real liquorice at all; the flavour comes from anise seed. Die-hard liquorice-lovers by contrast insist on brands with a minimal ingredients list: molasses, flour, liquorice extract and aniseed oil, possibly a pinch of salt and natural colour. Liquorice root extract contains glycyrrhizin, a natural sweetener and steroid-like substance that can cause high blood pressure or heart arrhythmias when eaten regularly in large amounts. Gran was definitely on blood pressure medication back in the seventies so maybe there was a link, though she would have had to munch through something like 50g (2oz) per day for it to have had any effect and the quantity of sugar in a box of Berties’ means she would probably have died of diabetes long before succumbing to death-by-liquorice! I’d read about a genetic quirk which is the reason that some people can’t stand the taste of coriander and I wondered if something similar might be responsible for the fact I dislike liquorice so intensely. I couldn’t find any research on the subject...but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) lurking on a gene somewhere in my DNA which means liquorice tastes like bitter tyre rubber to me. Or maybe the taste is my body’s way of protecting me from the potentially harmful effects of glycyrrhizin. Who knows? The human affection for liquorice (although not this human) seems to date back to 400 BC, when Greek physician Hippocrates proclaimed it could treat ulcers and quench thirst. Alexander the Great even doled out liquorice rations to his troops to keep them hydrated on long marches, and stockpiles of liquorice were found in Tutankhamun’s tomb, sitting alongside other treasures. Glycyrrhizin means ‘sweet root’ in Greek, and it is

indeed very sweet, being 40 times sweeter than sugar. It belongs to a flowering shrub which grows in the subtropical climate and rich soil found in Southern Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. Glycyrrhizin is said to suppress coughs and clear phlegm, reduce inflammation and decrease viral loads. It’s also purported to fight cancer, diabetes, and dental disease, though there’s very little scientific research to support the latter claims. I’ve always thought liquorice sweets taste like bad medicine and in fact there is a story (or possibly a myth because I couldn’t find a name) that we have a pharmacist to thank for them. In 1760 in Pontefract this mystery pharmacist supposedly added sugar to a cough medicine containing liquorice root to make it more palatable, and a whole new line of confectionary was born. By the 1800s manufacturers were in full scale production across Europe. The Netherlands actually consumes the most liquorice per capita, and in Sweden they have Lakritsfestivalen (“liquorice festival”) complete with tastings, entertainment, and even sculptures made out of the stuff. But then they also eat pickled herrings, so I feel the bar for Swedish cuisine is not set terribly high. In spite of my distaste for all things liquorice, consumption of real liquorice (in contrast to the highly processed ‘candy’ version) is growing rapidly across Europe as we cut back on sugary snacks but still crave something sweet. I’m not sure I could ever learn to love liquorice though; I’d rather eat pickled herrings! By Sarah Davey

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