Getting Serious with Sweet Licorice

Retro sweets are staging their most awaited comeback and they won't come complete without licorice. These sweetened herbs have definitely become more than just candies. They're actually part of our culture being our favorite pastimes back in those deliciously unforgettable days. Blackcurrant and Liquorice, Catherine Wheels, Army and Navy, Haribo Liquorice Wheels, Lions Liquorice Gums, Liquorice Toffee, Liquorice Torpedoes, Liquorice Wands, Liquorice Wood, Pascalls Liquorice Comfits and Pascalls Liquorice Cuttings are just some of the brands that became staples of our childhood. Those of us who lived to taste the glory days of candy for the first time are only so glad to see it happen all over again.

Today, these retro sweets can even be more appreciated beyond their sugar. They are still, in fact, herbs that treat a whole range of conditions from the common cough to herpes sores to pre-menstrual syndrome in women. It can come in many different forms as well depending on the ailment. For example, as a tincture, licorice helps heal canker sores. For skin problems, it can come as a cream or ointment. Gastric discomforts may be relieved by licorice in a capsule as well as respiratory problems.

Licorice in old-fashioned sweets may be used for general day-to-day health maintenance, although one still needs to check for genuineness of licorice content. Some products may claim to be licorice-based but don't actually contain the herb at all. In fact, star anise, which is another common herb, is being used as a substitute because of their resemblance in taste.

Of course, if you want licorice for its health-promoting properties, you won't get it as traditional sweets. You will probably go looking for bare and natural licorice root which has been used for centuries by people all over the world, especially in Asian countries, for health reasons. Licorice tablets may also be a good choice if you're always on the go or too busy to be munching on something for long.

If and when you do begin taking licorice as a health supplement, know that there are specific drugs that may cause adverse reactions when taken with it. Some of the most common are heart or blood pressure medicine, spironolactone, isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine, cyclosporine, insulin, glipizide, glyburide, metformin, troglitazone, rosiglitazone, pioglitazone and many others. It will, of course, be the safest if you could consult with your doctor before taking licorice, even licorice retro sweets.

However, if you simply want to enjoy that good old licorice taste in your mouth, have it as those old-fashioned sweets you always were crazy about as a kid. Your own children will most likely appreciate it f you get them this whole hamper of licorice treats as well other candies from a wholesale retro sweets shop. Just get online and start adding to your shopping cart.

These Sweets Called Licorice

Everybody has had one too many nice and sweet memories of licorice at some point in their lives. And that's not all the magic of these retro sweets. There is actually a world of ways that they have been enjoyed by people across the generations. Whether as drinks, medicinal cures or health maintenance herbs, licorice has always been one the most beloved foodies of all time. Of course, as candy, they couldn't be more special.

The word itself brings a fountain of memories. When we were kids, we just adored its sweet natural flavors. But did you know that from the time of the pharaohs, these herbs have been enjoyed as traditional sweets? That's how long these vines have made people's lives tastier. And they're the least boring things you could put in your mouth. Way before we knew licorice as food for our sweet tooth, it has been savored for centuries as tea, meal food, even booze and, of course, candy. Who knows what other varieties it may come in? What we're sure about is that licorice has a universal appeal that endears it to people across ages, social classes and history itself.
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While the vine may be more valued for its health-promoting properties, it comes to us in the sweetest of ways as old-fashioned sweets. A look back in history would tell us that they have long been favorites everywhere in the world, especially in the United States, England, Germany, the Netherlands and Nordic countries. Those chewy black varieties debuted in 1914 as manufactured by the Chicago-based American Licorice Company. Since then, more sugary varieties were made and that's how we came to know the very favorites we had from childhood. Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts, Blackcurrant and Liquorice, Catherine Wheels, Army and Navy, Haribo Liquorice Wheels, Lions Liquorice Gums, Liquorice Toffee, Liquorice Torpedoes, Liquorice Wands, Liquorice Wood, Pascalls Liquorice Comfits, Pascalls Liquorice Cuttings - these were the ways that we loved our licorice back then and, guess what, we get to love it all over again now with the resurrection of these unforgettable traditional sweets.

Although licorice is known for its versatility, it will, to us, remain as a sweet nostalgic reminder of how good life was before when getting our next bag of licorice sweets was the most serious of our concerns. Back then when things were slower and simpler, we know we couldn't have better memories than the ways that sweet licorice has made childhood so much worth a looking back to.

Licorice Treats

It's hardly possible to imagine that sweet decade of the seventies without those traditional sweets. After all, that was the golden age of candy and without those savory tongue teasers, the baby boomers probably wouldn't be whatever they are today. Those trips to the local candy store, those white bags, those big transparent jars sparkling with all sorts of retro sweets – these were what defined every little sweet tooth's happiness and among the ultimate favorites, licorice stays on top.

Now, most people remember licorice to be a lollipop or a sweet, rooty twist or just about any type of licorice-made candy that gave the generation all the more reason to enjoy their childhood. In short, most know licorice as candy, but few realize that it's actually an herb that can grow in anyone's garden. It is a legume, to be exact, which bears round, tiny flowers. What gives licorice candy its unmistakable flavor, though, is the herb's underground root. This root can simply be pulled out from the soil, washed and chewed raw. Some even make tea out of it and the sweet flavor is just as delectable. In fact, licorice is said to be fifty-percent sweeter than table sugar, reason why it's a very good substitute for diabetic patients and those who need to regulate their sugar intake. Aside from this sugar-smart advantage of licorice, the herb is also known to help provide cure for a string of other diseases and conditions such as constipation, stomach ulcers, menopause symptoms and inflammation and respiratory conditions. Even smoking is said to be cured psychologically with a simple licorice candy.

Of course, licorice wouldn't be such a sweet thing if not for its being candy that brings a wave of nostalgia to anyone who holds dear childhood memories of it. As traditional sweets, licorice sticks and other varieties have been enjoyed by the world for centuries. Not all them are created the same, however, with some being healthier or tastier than the others. If you're serious about reconnecting with your licorice memories, there are some things you need to know about choosing the right licorice treat.

If you want your exactly those genuine retro sweets you went crazy about as a child, you have to know if they're made of licorice root extract. Or, if you would now like a healthier version, get something with molasses instead of sugar, but still with the same licorice flavor minus the extract. Some licorice candies are chewy and rubbery while others are waxy. There are even more varieties with sharper flavors, if you want your licorice with an extra oomph!

Of course, we'll always want our licorice sweets with the memories they drown us in. That sweet journey to the past surely can't get any sweeter with the exact flavor of genuine licorice retro sweets.