In her Substack newsletter, Dorie Greenspan just posted about licorice, which as she notes is a divisive flavor. Just like cilantro, it seems to be a love it or hate it item. For some the taste aversion stems from having licorice flavored medicine as a child, but for others it seems to be built in, although scientists have not yet linked it to a genetic variant in the same way as cilantro. Like Dorie, I enjoy the taste of licorice in food and drink.

Corpse reviver from Hauntingly Good Spirits by Sharon Keating and Christi Keating Sumich

The cocktail recipe Dorie provided (via David Liebovitz), which David calls a Lillet Reviver, is nearly identical to a Corpse Reviver #2, which is my favorite cocktail. The swirl of pastis (I use Pernod) in the glass provides just enough licorice flavor to enhance the remaining ingredients without overpowering them. I also like baking with anise and fennel, especially pairing the latter with orange. Licorice candies also make the grade in my house, although I have never tried the "real-real" ones that Dorie describes.

The EYB Library has 162 online recipes using (or for) licorice, either as licorice root, a form of licorice candy, or DIY licorice candies using anise. (There are thousands more recipes featuring anise or fennel.) Some recipes use licorice ropes as decoration, but most have it as a flavoring ingredient. The flavor pairings are all over the map: chocolate, blueberries, beef, onions, even sea urchins appear in the recipes. Dorie says Rose Wilde has a buttercream recipe that features a black sesame and licorice, which I find intriguing. Where do you stand on licorice: love it or loathe it?