I always forget to write about the licorice that I consider 'standard' licorice. So today I am going to pull the old
Kookaburra Red and Black Licorice out of my hat. I guess I don't really think of this as imported, even though it is, because it is re-packed here in Washington State.
In 1957, Darrell Lea’s unique soft eating liquorice was developed.
25% of the Australian liquorice market is now soft eating.
50 million strands of Darrell Lea’s soft eating liquorice are consumed by Australians of all ages each year, equating to 2.5 strands for every single Australian.
40,000km of Liquorice is produced each year at the Darrell Lea factory (ENOUGH TO CROSS AUSTRALIA 10 TIMES!)
The United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa & New Zealand are among the countries that now eat Darrell Lea’s famous soft eating liquorice.
Darrell Lea liquorice is now sold in more than 8000 retail outlets around the world – and growing constantly.
Darrell Lea Fruit Flavoured Liquorice
1998
With the success of our soft eating traditional liquorice, and, to cater to more palates than ever, Darrell Lea introduced the first of its fruit flavoured soft eating liquorice range with the ever popular strawberry flavour.
2004
Demand proved so popular, that the tangy green apple flavour was launched.
2005
Mangoes are synonymous with Summer, so mango devotees were encouraged to indulge their senses in any season with the introduction of mango liquorice in April 2005.
2006
Blackcurrant joins the family of Darrell Lea fruit flavoured liquorice lining up beside the hugely successful mango, green apple and strawberry flavours which continue to tantalise the taste buds of an ever growing number of Australians.
Other flavours have also been launched as "limited editions", some uniquely for our shops and others uniquely for export. These flavours have included Pineapple, Mandarin, Cinnamon and Ginger, with more on the way.
WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT DARRELL LEA LIQUORICE?
No other liquorice is as soft as Darrell Lea soft eating liquorice. Such soft liquorice can only be obtained by ensuring that it is fresh at all times and by a specific cooking process. Darrell Lea has a significant advantage of being in control of the manufacturing, distribution and sale of their products and can therefore ensure regular turnover and ultimate freshness.
Compare the shelf life of Darrell Lea soft eating liquorice and other liquorice – Darrell Lea Batch 37 liquorice has a 5 week shelf life, whereas most other non-Darrell Lea liquorice has a 15 month shelf life. Ultimately the difference in the texture and the taste is testimony to the freshness of Darrell Lea Liquorice.
Darrell Lea Soft Eating Liquorice contains such ingredients as prime Australian wheat flour, semi refined raw sugar, molasses, treacle, natural liquorice extract, glucose and aniseed oil.
Darrell Lea liquorice is 97% fat free, cholesterol free and low in salt
JUST WHAT IS LIQUORICE?
It shoud be noted that the word "Liquorice" refers to 2 separate items
1. Liquorice extract - the pure form derived from the licorice plant, and
2. Confectionery Liquorice - whch we all like to eat.
Licorice Extract
The liquorice plant has the botanical name, Glycyrrhiza, which means sweet root. It has a unique flavour and is 50 times sweeter than sugar. Also known as the blue flowering snow pea, the liquorice plant grows wild in the subtropical areas of Europe and Asia. In favourable conditions, the root can grow to about 8 metres and vary in thickness from thin fibres to several cm in diameter. The flavour is extracted from the plant roots using steam and then the liquid is concentrated. The end result is either in the form of a syrup or powder.
It is used in a variety of products from beverages like soft drinks, liquor and tea to soup broths, herbs and spices and even tobacco products. The use of liquorice as an ingredient in candy is, of course, one of which most of us are familiar
Liquorice is also good for what ails you. Often called the “grandfather of Chinese herbs” because it has been used for medicinal purposes for over 3,000 years, liquorice root extract still appears in most Chinese herbal remedies for a wide variety of conditions.
The use of liquorice as a medicinal remedy is documented during the time of Hippocrates in the fourth century BC.
Later this modest plant was also supposed to have healed the wounds and quenched the thirst of Nero’s armies in the first century AD.
It has also been found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, put there to accompany them to a higher plane.
During the Middle Ages, crusaders brought this sweet liquorice treat to England. Many years later, a monastery in Pontefract, England began producing liquorice candy.
Early settlers brought liquorice recipes to America. Today liquorice is an important ingredient in a wide range of consumer products throughout the world.
