Licorice is somewhat of an acquired taste. For a long time, the confection was used for healing.
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00:00This one seems good.
00:03Either you love it, or you hate it.
00:06There's not much in-between with licorice and how it actually tastes.
00:13Mmm. Nein.
00:15Like, almost, like, earthy and, like, tangy at the same time.
00:21It's got something salamoniac, something herbal, that not everyone likes.
00:27Somehow it's got a touch of lemon, I'd say.
00:31A little bitter.
00:34It's too herbal, too different.
00:37It can be spicy, sweet, savory.
00:41I think it tastes quite good, and I like everything they've got in this container.
00:46We can agree. It's generally dark brown to black.
00:50It can be sweet, or savory, or have a bite, and it triggers strong opinions.
00:56Licorice comes in many kinds.
00:58We'll go over what this mysterious tidbit actually is and where it comes from.
01:05It all begins with the inconspicuous little licorice plant, native to Western Asia and the Mediterranean region.
01:12The region in Europe best known for it is in southern Italy.
01:16The best-tasting licorices grow here in Calabria, with the flavors the plants get from the land and the air.
01:24At first it was considered a weed, and so farmers pulled it up so they might cultivate the land.
01:31Today, of course, it's one of the most important plants we've got on our territory.
01:36Rossano, in the Calabria region, is home to Europe's oldest licorice makers.
01:42The Amarelli family has been making licorice by the same unchanging recipe since the 18th century,
01:49using only one ingredient, dried licorice root.
01:53They only use the sweet part of the stem.
01:57The part of the plant we're interested in grows underground, and that's basically the root itself.
02:03That's exactly what we see here.
02:05And to pull it out takes big tractors with diggers that can reach down to 80 centimeters or even one meter deep in the soil.
02:16In the factory's kettle hall, the juice extracted from the shredded licorice is then poured into a machine.
02:22In the factory's kettle hall, the juice extracted from the shredded licorice root chips is boiled down to a thick syrup.
02:30This is where it naturally acquires its dark coloration.
02:34Heating dissolves the activated carbon in the root.
02:39The first concentrate of the juice is poured in here, where it's boiled down for 10 to 12 hours.
02:45How long depends on how concentrated it was to begin with.
02:49As soon as the paste is thick enough, it'll be cut into strips to cool and harden even more.
02:55Rolling out and portioning step by step produces the typical lozenge form.
03:00The Amarelli family began selling licorice around 1500 and opened their factory for block licorice in 1731.
03:08At the time, it wasn't considered a food.
03:10The licorice varieties have undergone a radical evolution.
03:15At first, licorice was only used as a medicine.
03:19The plant was good for sore throats and stomach pains as well.
03:23So it was medicinal.
03:26Only as a second thought was our licorice a success as a candy.
03:32But even as candy, licorice should really be enjoyed in moderation.
03:36But even as candy, licorice should really be enjoyed in moderation.
03:41It can raise blood pressure.
03:43The Amarelli's licorice museum next to the factory traces the evolution of licorice
03:48from a medication to a treat, the grown-up kind and the sweet candy.
03:53Today, the company produces soft gummies and blends with chocolate.
03:57But the best seller is still the original, lozenges made of pure licorice.
04:02I think it's either you like it or you don't like it.
04:06It's nowhere in between, I think.
04:09I enjoy a licorice presence in small quantities.
04:13Personally, I don't really like licorice.
04:15It's best Scandiano.
04:17It's a great sweet.
04:19I don't like the taste. It's too sweet.
04:21I think it's delicious.
04:23And it's different from other sweets.
04:25It's different sweets for different people.
04:28Salty licorice is popular in Scandinavia.
04:31Sweet licorice is preferred in Southern Europe.
04:34But the Dutch consume an average of 2 kilos per person per year.
04:38And what do you think of licorice?