Sugar Savvy

The bucolic description on the back of the Black Ace Licorice package reads “Black Ace Licorice reminds us of forgotten summer days spent hanging out on the back porch with your best friend, a game of hide and seek or skipping a rock across the pond.” There is a creative writer somewhere in their marketing department, but I was nonetheless immediately intrigued by such a product description for a candy.

I should say first that I am a licorice lover. Unabashedly, I was the one who plucked the black licorice jellybeans from their colorful companions into my mouth. And I was the first who clamored to help someone who didn’t like the black ones,. Though as a rule, I do not discriminate against other colors of licorice, or jelly beans for that matter. I have tried several different kinds of licorice, and found Black Ace Licorice to be better than most American licorice that I have tasted.

One look at the product ingredients tells me why Black Ace Licorice tastes better than much of their American counterparts. Many American licorice manufacturers use cheaper anise extract and other flavorings to produce what they call licorice. True licorice, in fact, must contain licorice extract, the fifth ingredient listed on the Black Ace Licorice package. As a result, Black Ace Licorice packs a recognizable but not overwhelming licorice bite. It comes in little chewy gumdrops that are soft, smooth, and practically melt in your mouth. While I have found other black licorice that I like better because they have a stronger licorice taste, the most appealing quality of Black Ace Licorice is that it is wheat and gluten free and all natural. I think this is the perfect treat for someone who has a wheat and gluten food allergy, and I enjoyed it as well.

Touted as the “Great American licorice” I think Black Ace licorice is rather a unique cross between European and American licorice. European licorice can be either salty or sweet. The salty European variety is an acquired taste for most people, but either kind almost always has a strong licorice flavor because it is made with licorice extract. Black Ace Licorice has enough licorice bite to satisfy a licorice connoisseur, but it’s also sweet enough to tempt those that typically steer away from black licorice and all its mutations and countless imitations. You can order Black Ace licorice online from several distributors listed on Google, and you can also find it at specialty supermarkets like Whole Foods.