Liquorice

Yes liquorice! It's a love hate relationship for most when it comes to this.

I think it's sensational ... I grew up with lots of liquorice it was what we would get for my dad every fathers day because he loved it.
we used have to take the Irish moss syrup when we were sick which was a liquorice flavoured cough mixture and my pop used to say would cure anything, which is why I still use it today.

Even the liquorice flavoured sarsaparilla which I was told as a little girl was "pigs blood" so that I wouldn't drink my parents stash, even now my hubby Sam is obsessed with the boiled liquorice blocks and bullets so for most of my life liquorice has made a mark In my existence.

To make liquorice there are a base of ingredients they are liquorice extract, sugar, and a binder.
The binder is typically starch/flour, gum arabic, or gelatin, or a combination of the 3. Then ammonium chloride, and molasses are added to give the end product the familiar black colour.
Some liquorice is flavoured with anise oil instead of or in combination with liquorice root extract.

The process of making is quite straightforward the ingredients are dissolved in water and heated to 135 °C the liquid is poured into molds, to get the desired shape or size. The licorice liquid is then set and when they are they are sprayed with beeswax in order to give them a shiny appearance.

Even Alexander the Great supplied his troops with rations of liquorice root whilst marching, due to its thirst
quenching qualities.

It has been around for centuries
and I hope it stays that way, because it has been a great thing for my family when I can't think of any present ideas.
Try it ! It may surprise you!