Black Licorice Caramels: the best anise caramel recipe - Kitchen Cents (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between anise and licorice? ›

The funny thing is, they're very different. Licorice and anise have a similar taste and fragrance, but they have their own identities beyond that. Licorice is a root (from the licorice plant), and anise is a fruit (from the anise herb plant). Anise is not related to licorice at all.

Anise and Star Anise

In the case of licorice, it's most often compared to anise or fennel. In the United States, most of the licorice made domestically is flavored with anise rather than licorice extract.

Fennel and anise are two related plants that produce the aromatic, black licorice-flavored compound anethole—resulting in a lot of confusion between the two.

True anise actually belongs to the same family as parsley, while star anise belongs to the magnolia family. The common compound that unites them is anethole, which is responsible for that yummy (or yucky) licorice flavor with which we are all familiar.

Some theorize that glycyrrhiza glabra (an evil villain name if I ever saw one), the compound that gives fennel, black licorice, and anise their characteristically horrifying taste, is chemically similar to that of artificial sweeteners.

Some of the flavor compounds found in licorice is found in anise and fennel, but that is the only relationship to licorice. Star anise flavor is closest to licorice but its relation to licorice is even further away than anise and fennel.

Yes, particularly if you're over 40 and have a history of heart disease or high blood pressure, or both. Eating more than 57g (2 ounces) of black liquorice a day for at least 2 weeks could lead to potentially serious health problems, such as an increase in blood pressure and an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia).

Multiple studies have shown that licorice root prevents and treats ulcers. It does this by increasing mucus production in the stomach, soothing the stomach lining. Licorice also increases the blood supply to the stomach, which promotes healing.

The chemicals in licorice are thought to decrease swelling, decrease cough, and increase the chemicals in our body that heal ulcers. Many "licorice" products made in the U.S. actually don't contain licorice. They contain anise oil, which has the smell and taste of "black licorice".

That country is The Netherlands! That's right, this European country boasts the highest per capita consumption of licorice in the world. Each of its citizens is reported to eat more than 4 pounds of licorice candy per year! That's a sweet record.

Does anise raise blood pressure? ›

It has been demonstrated that regularly consuming foods high in potassium, such anise seeds, can lower blood pressure and fend off numerous diseases like hypertension.

Blood pressure

Dietary nitrates in fennel and other foods have vasodilatory and vasoprotective properties. Because of this, they can help lower blood pressure and protect the heart. A 2018 study found that blood pressure levels were lower after taking nitrate supplements.

Therefore, avoid giving star anise to children. A chemical compound in star anise is slightly toxic and may act as an irritant if consumed in large quantities. Anise oil, when ingested at 1 to 5 ml, may cause nausea, vomiting, seizures and pulmonary oedema (too much fluid in the lungs) in humans.

anisatum. 4 Given the difficulty of distinguishing between these species, star anise should not be administered to children. In all infants with acute neurological or digestive symptoms with no known cause, we should inquire about the use of star anise in tea or as gripe water.

Fennel is used as an ingredient in recipes and on its own as a side dish to complement a rich entrée. The vegetable has a mild licorice flavor and can be thinly sliced and eaten raw or cooked. There are two varieties of fennel. The vegetable we eat and from which fennel seeds are harvested is called Florence fennel.

You won't find it in red licorice, and some black licorice candies use artificial flavors or anise oil, which has a similar flavor. But some of the best-known black licorice candies use natural licorice extract, which also appears in some teas, root beers and other products.

When people taste OREAD™, they often describe a flavor of “black licorice.” This comes from the star anise. But actual licorice is the root of yet another species of plant called Glycyrrhiza Glabra, which basically translates to “sweet root.” We're back to herbaceous, this time as a perennial.

Another theory is that some people seem to have an aversion to glycyrrhizin, the natural sweetener present in licorice root that tastes like the saccharin in those bright pink Sweet'N Low packets.

Although fennel has somewhat licorice taste, it is not an ingredient in actual black licorice. Black licorice candy is actually made from the licorice root, from the plant with the scientific name of Glycyrrhiza glabra. Sugars are added, but no fennel.