Liquorice

Liquorice sweets get their distinctive flavour from liquorice-root extract, made from the roots of the liquorice plant. Some sweets are flavoured with anise or other ingredients instead, so a liquorice-flavoured sweet does not always contain liquorice root.

Simmer a few thin slices of dried liquorice root in water for about 10 minutes, then strain. The root is intensely sweet, so start with a small amount; liquorice sweets are not a direct substitute for the root in tea.

Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard, away from sunlight. This helps stop them drying out or turning sticky; separate soft and hard sweets if you want to preserve their different textures.

Its sweet, earthy flavour works with chocolate, citrus and warming spices such as ginger. In Nordic-style cooking, salty liquorice is also eaten as a sweet in its own right, often alongside other strongly flavoured sweets.

Aniseed is a useful stand-in when you want a similar sweet, aromatic flavour, especially in baking or drinks, but it tastes more like aniseed sweets than liquorice-root extract. Use a little at first, as ground aniseed can quickly dominate.

No. Liquorice comes from the root of the liquorice plant, while anise is a seed; their flavours are similar enough that anise is sometimes used to flavour sweets labelled as liquorice.