Natural Vines Licorice: Strawberry

I have actually had this package of Natural Vines Strawberry Licorice on deck for review since December. The company was nice enough to send samples my way, and unfortunately they arrived the very day I was leaving for Atlanta for the holidays. Then, after my month-long stay there, when I got home...well, things have happened, and I have sadly been slacking on doing reviews since. So my apologies all around. I am trying my best to get back on track.

And really -- what could possibly be better to start my reviews again with than licorice? We all know how much I love it (and if you don't, let's just say I would pick licorice over pretty much all other candy first).



Natural Vines are actually the healthier, more natural sibling of everyone's favorite movie theater licorice twist: the venerable and ever-popular Red Vine. Natural Vines contain no HFCS, soy, cholesterol, or trans-fats. They're suitable for vegans and they're even made at a tree nut-free facility. I highly suspect that they may even wear tiny Birkenstocks and listen to NPR.

This licorice comes in a soft, resealable pouch rather than the flat box of its movie-loving brother. And I like that for my licorice. (Although, to be honest, if I really like it, there's no way it'll last long enough to need resealing.)

Opening the pouch, there's not much in the way of scent. If anything, it smells vaguely like a strawberry candle. But the aroma is nowhere near as intense as that of a regular Red Vine.

Each of the little twists is about one inch long and is roughly a third of an inch in diameter. Unlike the standard Red Vine, which is a hollow tube, these are solid all the way through. The twists have a somewhat translucent red color. And I think Cybele said it best in her review when she said it reminds her (to paraphrase) of strawberry jam in solid form.



But how do they taste?

The strawberry is pleasantly tart -- which I appreciate, as I hate when strawberry flavored items are super-sweet (which is all too common, sadly). At the same time, it won't cause any puckering. In a lot of ways it actually does remind me of a solid version of strawberry jam. Wheat based licorice always has a distinct taste to me; I am unsure how to describe it other than "pasty," and that is definitely present. It's not a bad taste; it's just there.

The texture is chewy but not sticky. If you like to let the licorice dissolve on your tongue, you will get a satisfyingly long-lasting treat -- although it will eventually break up into smaller pieces on its own (but I kind of like that myself, so no complaints).

Oddly enough, I think my favorite part was the aftertaste. It's all semi-sweet strawberry, and it lingers for several minutes.

Truthfully, when it comes to fruit flavored licorice, my heart still belongs to another -- but this is solid entry in the field, and I am looking forward to trying the black licorice version.



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company.

CALORIES:
150 calories per 9 piece serving.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains wheat. Does not contain HFCS. Cholesterol free, soy free, vegan, made at a tree nut free facility, trans-fat free.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
americanlicorice.com

Henry Goode's Soft Eating Liquorice

It is not exactly a secret to my readers that I am a big fan of licorice. It's also well known what brand I love best. But I am always looking to try new kinds, and when the folks at Henry Goode's asked if I was up to giving their Soft Eating Licorice a try, I of course said yes.

Each piece of licorice is a soft little log about 2 inches long. The logs are indeed quite soft and smooshy.



The smell from the waxed paper bag is subtle, sort of like molasses. So I bit into the log expecting a molasses-type sweetness. Instead I got a sweet (but not too sweet) yet strong anise flavor. No molasses in sight (or taste). Tastewise, what it really reminded me of was chewing on fresh fennel stalks. (Yes, we did do that at my house -- fennel was a favorite snack of my grandfather). Despite the fact that fennel is often mislabeled in stores as anise, the two herbs are quite different. (Fennel looks sort of like celery, only with a big whitish bulb at the bottom, and the leaves are feathery.) But what they have in common is anethole, which gives both herbs their similar tastes.



It's a very clean, very simple, fresh chew. It's not as strong as, say, your average black jelly bean. Nor is there any of the brown/sugar molasses taste of my beloved favorite. But I still loved the flavor.

The chew was good. A little sticky, but again, it's all good.

One of the best things to come out of England! (After Jim and Cinabar, of course.)



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company

CALORIES:
180 calories per 50 grams (I have no idea what that equates to in terms of pieces).

ADDITIONAL INFO:
No added salt, contains wheat, suitable for vegetarians. Halal.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
henrygoode.co.uk

Panda Licorice: Soft Herb

Once again, we all need to thank the glorious nation of Finland for yet another Panda licorice product!

All right, this review can go one of two ways:

1. I could be tasteful and classy and mention how this version of Panda contains all natural, fat free goodness of the popular classic flavor (my own personal addiction), as do the fantastic cherry and raspberry versions. Additionally, the Soft Herb version contains extracts of 18 different herbs, specifically:

* Peppermint leaves
* Shop vervain wort
* Orange leaves
* Marsh mallow root
* Glycyrrhiza glabra
* Blackberry leaves
* Plantain herb
* Torch weed flowers
* Thyme leaves
* Lungworth leaves
* Elder flowers
* Milfoil flowers
* Iceland moss
* Sage leaves
* Star anise
* Mallow flowers
* Primrose flowers
* Red poppy flowers

OK, to be fair, I am not sure what many of those herbs are, either. But it sounds healthy (and sort of like things actual pandas probably eat)...

-OR-

2. I will over-use the word "dude" and make copious stoner and hippie references. If you have actually read this blog before, I think we all know which way this is headed...

Aaw, dude...there's like, herbs in my candy, man. Seriously! Like, herbs! Uuuuhhh...I like it when my munchies are all, y'know, healthy. (And again, Panda is my addiction of choice.)



Looking at the pieces of Soft Herb, I didn't notice any difference between this version and Panda's classic black licorice. The smell is almost the same as well, maybe not as strong, but the molasses notes that I love are still there.

Taste-wise I was wondering how all the herbs would, like, make sweet love to my mouth. (Wait, that sounded wrong.) Actually, it's an interesting effect. I think I was expecting something woodsy or savory. Instead, it is almost as if they took classic black Panda and mentholated it. At first it's weird. After all, menthol is not really a taste you expect outside of cough drops.



Even weirder is that it really grows on you. Part of it is the flavor. The menthol has that quasi-minty taste, and it pairs well with the molasses. The chew is the same -- soft, and a tad sticky. What's neat is that it also leaves your mouth feeling both warm and cool at the same time, if you can imagine such a thing. I still prefer the classic black flavor over all others, but I really liked this one. I guarantee it'll be real easy to Finnish the box. (Get it? Finnish? Aaaaww, dude...ever notice how herbs make everything, like, sooooo funny?)

Finally, since I am indeed a giver, I am going to make a suggestion to those of you who are ingesting herbs above and beyond those contained in this licorice: You need to groove like the old school stoners did -- you know, back in the days of yore when herbs were really herbs, man. So sit back in your favorite beanbag chair, fire up some patchouli incense, grab a box of Soft Herb Panda Licorice, and munch out while contemplating the hidden cosmic meanings in the song American Pie. (Like, it's really deep, man, it goes like, waaaayyy beyond like, the day the music died, and like, Buddy Holly dying, y'know, in that bummer of a plane crash and all...) In fact, I am so generous that I have even provided a link to the song...in Finnish, of course.



Dude...hyvää päivänjatkoa! (That means "Dude...have a nice day!") And I mean it sincerely, with love and flowers for all of you. I'm just sorry I couldn't find a Finnish cover of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company

CALORIES:
130 Calories per 15 pieces.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
All Natural. Kosher. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
internaturalfoods.com

Panda Licorice: Raspberry

All right, everyone salute the great nation of Finland! Any country that can produce something as wonderful as Panda Licorice can only be a force of good in the world. (Yes, I know that we can also thank Finland for Nokia, Linux, Marimekko, Finlandia cheese, and several tasty adult beverages. And yes, all of those things have their merits. I am fully aware of that. But we're talking about Panda Licorice here, people! Panda Licorice!!)

Anyway, I think my love of all things Panda Licorice has been well documented. But I am beginning to feel rather like Bill on Big Love...because much like Bill, I am torn between three loves. I love the regular black licorice (which I guess would be the Barb), and as much as I loved the Cherry (the Nicki), we now have flavor number three: Raspberry! (the Margene). Is it right or even possible to love all three the way I do?



In any event, I do!

The raspberry flavor is sweet and just a little tart. It has a juiciness to it and it tastes very natural. Lying just below the raspberry is the smooth molasses taste I love from classic black Panda. Part of what makes it so good is that it is just the fruit that shines through, since there are no artificial colors used there is no bitter "red" taste.

The texture is soft and just a little chewy (like all Panda licorice). This is one of those products that I love so much, I can't say enough good things about it. Just go get a pouch and thank me afterward.



And because this has become my other obsession -- while you're getting ready to go buy your own pouch, watch this video from Big Love's Bill Paxton's "rock star" days when he was part of a duo called "Martini Ranch." Video should be safe for work (just bikini babes), and was directed by James Cameron! Odd how neither Paxton nor Cameron brags about this...? Hmmmmmn...



(Yes, I know all songs featured on my Panda Licorice reviews are supposed to be in Finnish. But apparently no one has done a Finnish cover of "Reach" yet. C'mon, Finnish musicians, y'all need to step up to the plate!)



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company

CALORIES:
130 per 15 pieces (I would like to tell you I have that much self control).

ADDITIONAL INFO:
All natural, kosher, suitable for vegetarians and vegans, fat free. Awesome.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
InterNatural Foods.com for Panda's American importers. (Or panda.fi for the manufacturer -- it's only in Finnish, but it has some really cute Panda Flash animations.)

Panda Licorice: Cherry

Aah, yes...from the far northern splendor of Finland comes a new candy that is as luscious and yummy as a tropical sunset!

One item on the list of treats not often kept in my house is Panda Licorice. Here's an embarrassing but true fact: I have been known to finish an entire box...all by myself...in one day. Yes, I know how shameful that is. And guess what? I DO NOT CARE! It's totally worth it! Anyway, the makers of Panda were kind enough to ask me if I would like to review their new Cherry Panda. As if there was any chance I was going to say no?

Cherry Panda, along with my beloved classic black Panda, now comes in some new packaging. You can get it in boxes, in resealable pouches, and in individual bars. (We used the box for this review because it photographed the best.)



Each little chew is an extruded tube whose cross section vaguely resembles a dried lotus flower. The shape of Panda always reminds me of something that might have come out of a Play-Doh Fun Factory. (Hey, back in the day you were the coolest if you had a Fun Factory.)

The smell is vaguely spicy. I almost wouldn't call it cherry -- but it is definitely fruity. The texture is the soft, yet slightly sticky chew that I love about Panda.

But it's really all about the cherry flavor. I was wondering how the cherry was going to be pulled off. I feared that it would be either akin to cheap cherry cough medicine, or maybe like one of those cherry flavored "juices" that are mass-marketed for kids. Or worse yet, some unholy six-fingered, cyclops love child of the two.

But somehow, magically, Panda manages to avoid either. Have you ever had a black cherry that, while ripe, was just this close to being a little too bitter? That's the flavor that Panda has harnessed. It's juicy and sweet, but there is just enough tartness to keep it interesting.



Once the cherry taste wanes a bit, you start to notice the molasses flavor of classic Panda. I absolutely love this flavor. True fact (again): I ate half the box over the course of the night. Not only that, but the Significant Other had some and liked it -- and he hates licorice. It is just that good.

If you need any incentive beyond just taste, the chews are also:

- Fat Free
- Preservative Free
- Artificial Flavor Free
- Kosher

And it has that adorable panda as a mascot. What's not to love? You need to get some of this as quickly as possible, lean back in your favorite comfy chair, and munch out while listening to some classic Ramones songs...in Finnish, of course.



Hyvää ruokahalua! (That's Finnish for "bon appétit," because, y'know, I'm like all sophisticated 'n' stuff.)



PURCHASED FROM:
Sample from company

Harlekijntjes Sweet Licorice

Admittedly after the Ikea Nordic Sweets Salt Licorice I was worried I might be up for a repeat performance.
Luckily that was not the case.

The Harlekijntjes are about the the size of a quarter and have little faces molded into them. They are soft to the touch but not overly smooshy.

Flavor wise they are indeed mild and sweet. There is just a touch of salt- which in this case it's perfect. The main flavor is more like anise or licorice root then the molasses-like quality of Panda. There is just enough heat to the licorice to make it interesting but it doesn't overwhelm.

I wish I had started here with my first Dutch licorices, if I had I probably wouldn't have waited so long to try another. The aftertaste is great. It's long lasting and just leaves you with a fresh feeling.

PURCHASED FROM:
The Dutch Bakery Ontario Cal
Visit they're website!: Dutch Variety Foods

Golia Caramelle Respira

One of the good things about moving back home to SoCal is that I have been able to revisit many of my old foodie stomping grounds.
One of which is a long standing chain of Italian groceries in the L.A. area called Claro's.

Claro's has a rather impressive candy selection at my local store and I picked up a bag of what I thought was licorice.

The small semi-hard lozenges are indeed made with licorice but imagine my surprise when I realized they were very, very strong to the point it made me think they were mentholated!
What I didn't notice on the bag until I had one in my mouth is that it also says "respira" Yes, my lovely bag of licorice was actually a lovely bag of cough drops!

The thing is a mentholy licorice is oddly addicting. Oh, sure I had a pretty big "WTF?!" moment at first but once you get over the shock the licorice it's self is dark and has a deep molasses note to it (yes, once again it reminded me of Panda) there is a little anise working around in there as well. As best I could tell from my limited Italian and the help of Babel Fish there is no actual menthol in the drops but it does have licorice juice (which accounts for the strong flavor) and once you are used to it, it actually reminded me a lot of Sambuca or Anisette. Minus the fact that it stains your tongue a lovely dark brown it did leave my mouth feeling tingly and clean. And while I had no cough to start with I would certainly prefer these over a standard drop any day.

Even if they weren't what I expected I am going to keep a stash of these on hand,

PURCHASED FROM:
Claro's Italian Market

Nordic Sweets- Salty Licorice Fish

I am going to let these start by saying I like black licorice. I like salt. I like salty and licorice together

I however did not like this particular version. The fish themselves were soft and pliable which is just how I like my licorice. The texture was fantastic as a matter of fact!
The aroma reminded me exactly of Panda Licorice. If you have read my Panda review then you know I am a big fan.

It's the salt that killed me. When you place the fish on your tongue the first thing you get is an overwhelming, almost burning saltiness. Somewhere in the background (deep in the background) you can taste the licorice- sort of. I think if not for the salt it would be wonderful.

This has never happened before but I couldn't finish even one of the candies. I tried several times but but the salt was just too overwhelming for me.
Is there anyone out there who is a fan of these?

PURCHASED FROM:
Ikea

Jones Soda- Black Cat Licorice

Finally a soda that matches my wardrobe!

OK, OK, maybe I am just biased because something so sleek and jet black has got to be cool. Besides that I love black licorice. Of course it could just be my inner lush- I have been known to drink Sambuca/Anisette from time to time.

What ever the reason may be this is an interesting drink. As you probably guessed from the name Black Cat licorice is a black licorice flavored soda. When you open the bottle if you give it a nice sniff- don't look at me like that! I know I am not the only one to smell my soda. Anyway, if you give it a whiff you get just the tiniest sign of the licorice flavor of the soda.
The best way to describe the taste is to think of a pure cane sugar cola with just a hint of black licorice flavor in the back ground.

It is a little too sweet for me to drink the entire 12 oz bottle in one sitting (getting old) but it is good enough that I plan on nursing it throughout the night- and since it is caffeine free I can do that and still get to sleep before 4:00 a.m.

Try it!- and if you don't like it send your extra's to me!

Panda Licorice

I thought Panda's ate bamboo but I guess it is just hard to resist good licorice

The Panda pieces little honeycombed logs just under an inch in length. They also have a nice soft chew to them, although they can be a little sticky to get out of the box. I happen to prefer my licorice this way. Maybe I am just getting old but having to gnaw on anything or risk yanking out my fillings just doesn't have the appeal it once did.

The box proclaims the candy to have the "real" taste of licorice. I don't know how accurate that is but they do have what I consider to be the BEST licorice flavor.
Unlike some black licorices that can be overly heavy on the fennel/anise flavor to the point it ends up tasting like cheap sambuca. But the Panda version has a subtle anise flavor that compliments the rich, deep molasses.

I like these so much I just might eat the whole box!... oh wait I DID. Well I gotta go buy some more.

Which P.S. I don't have to feel too guilty about because this candy is fat free and comes in around 130 calories for 15 pieces!