Licorice-Flavored Foods: How Many Can You Name?

Have you ever noticed how many common spices, herbs, and even veggies there are that have the same licorice-y anise flavor as, well...anise? This came up in conversation at a dinner party recently and we couldn’t believe how many there were once we started thinking about it!

Here’s what what we came up with:

1. Anise (of course!)
2. Star Anise
3. Fennel - bulb, fronds, and seed
4. Basil
5. Chervil
6. Caraway
7. Tarragon

Can you think of any others?

(Image: Flickr member Arria Belli licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (16)

Horehound...an herb that flavors an old-fashioned hard candy—my favorite candy when I was little! (I was a weird kid.)

Any number of liqueurs, including Pernod. It's also commonly added to mint-flavored stuff, but there it's usually only noticeable in the aroma and the aftertaste (the since the foretaste is so dominated by mint). Like vanilla, it seems to soften and round out the flavor of mint.

Basil? Really? I have to say that I have NEVER eaten basil and thought "hmm...licorice-y"

That said, I'm wild about all things anise.

Licorice mainly tastes like anise when there's anise in it. (To me. I don't like anise but I love licorice!)

@alejandraramos- I would've said the same thing before moving to Seattle.....whatever basil the Thai restaurants use out here TOTALLY tastes like licorice!!

It's disgusting. (I really don't like anise flavor)

Mmm, I love anise-flavoured things. Especially fennel.

Occasionally, root beer. And my favorite spice blend, 5-spice powder (of course, with anise in it).

Fennel, I'm convinced, is the best vegetable ever...right after my summer garden tomatoes.

I had a thai basil gimlet the other night and it tasted just like licorice.