I think most people appreciate a piece of candy every now and then but there are certain types of candy that may not be our favorites. There are also some candies that are loved by some and hated by others. Licorice is on that list.
If you are somebody who appreciates a good piece of black licorice, then you probably have thought about the unique flavor. Then again, if you are somebody that hates the taste of licorice, you have probably given the flavor some consideration as well.
What you may not know is that black licorice may be candy, but it is created from a natural source. Just like sugar flavors much of the candy and makes it sweet, anethole is what makes licorice taste like licorice.
So what is it that contains anethole and gives it that unique flavor? There are actually a number of plants that contain anethole, some of which grow in faraway China and others that may grow in your own backyard.
One of the more common sources of this chemical compound is fennel. It is a plant that you can easily grow in your own backyard. If you are somebody that enjoys the taste of licorice, you may want to try growing a fennel plant and tasting the taste from a different source.
Other types of plants that contain Anathole include anise, star anise, and licorice. That’s right, there is actually a plant that is called licorice and it lives up to its name with its taste.
Something else that you may also be interested in knowing is that there is a difference between anise seeds and fennel seeds. In addition, star anise is something completely different. When they are consumed, however, they all have that distinctive taste that makes you think about licorice automatically.
You might also be interested in knowing about astragel. It is a chemical compound that is found in plants such as tarragon and other daisy-related plants. It is similar to anethole because it contains the same chemical compounds but they are arranged differently, so the taste is different.
You can find out more in this video: