Few flavors divide a room quite like black licorice. Offer it around and you’ll usually get two extremes: people who genuinely crave that distinctive anise flavor, and people who physically recoil, describing it as tasting like medicine or something vaguely unpleasant they can’t quite place. There’s rarely a lukewarm middle ground with licorice, and that sharp divide has a real genetic basis.
The flavor compound responsible, anethole, shows up in a handful of other foods too, which is part of why understanding your reaction to licorice can also explain some of your other food preferences.
What Causes Different Reactions to Licorice
The distinctive flavor of black licorice comes primarily from anethole, an aromatic compound also found in fennel, anise seed, and star anise, all of which share that same recognizable, slightly sweet, medicinal-adjacent flavor profile. How strongly and how pleasantly you perceive anethole depends heavily on the sensitivity of specific olfactory receptors in your nose, since much of what we experience as flavor is actually driven by smell rather than taste alone.
Olfactory Receptor Sensitivity
People with more sensitive olfactory receptors for anethole tend to experience its aroma much more intensely, and that intensity can go either way. For some people, a strong, sensitive perception of anethole translates into a rich, enjoyable flavor experience. For others, that same heightened sensitivity tips the flavor into something that reads as overwhelming, medicinal, or even unpleasant, similar to how an intense version of any flavor can shift from pleasant to overpowering depending on individual perception.
Genetic Overlap With Other Anethole-Containing Foods
Since fennel, anise, and star anise all share the same key aromatic compound, people’s reactions to licorice often predict their reactions to these other foods as well. Someone who finds licorice cloying and medicinal will frequently report a similar aversion to fennel seed or anise-flavored dishes, while licorice lovers often enjoy the whole family of anethole-containing flavors.
How Common Is Licorice Aversion
Black licorice is famously one of the more polarizing flavors in Western food culture, and while comprehensive population studies specifically isolating genetic anethole sensitivity are limited, surveys of food preference consistently place licorice among the most divisive flavors tested, alongside foods like cilantro and blue cheese. Cultural exposure plays a role too. Licorice-based candies are far more popular and widely available in parts of Northern Europe than in the United States, which can shape lifelong familiarity and preference on top of any underlying genetic sensitivity.
Does Licorice Preference Affect Your Health
Preference itself has no health implications, but licorice does deserve a genuine health note unrelated to taste genetics: real licorice root contains a compound called glycyrrhizin, which in large amounts can affect blood pressure and potassium levels. Most commercial licorice candy in the United States is flavored with anise oil rather than real licorice extract, but if you do eat a lot of authentic licorice root products, this is worth being aware of, separate from anything related to why it tastes the way it does to you.
What Your Licorice Preference Means for You
If you’ve spent your whole life either stockpiling black licorice or picking it out of assorted candy bags without knowing quite why the flavor bothers you so much, your olfactory receptor genetics are likely a big part of the explanation. If you’re curious about your own smell and taste sensitivity, a DNA-based report can offer helpful context for this and other polarizing flavors you may have strong opinions about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Black Licorice the Same Thing as Twizzlers or Red Licorice?
Not really. Red “licorice” candy typically doesn’t contain any actual licorice or anise flavoring at all and is usually just a fruit-flavored candy that borrowed the name and shape. True black licorice flavor comes from anise or real licorice extract.
Can I Learn to Like Licorice Even if I’m Sensitive to Anethole?
Some people do develop a taste for it over repeated, gradual exposure, particularly with milder licorice products, though highly sensitive tasters may always find intensely flavored versions overwhelming.
Does Licorice Aversion Predict Dislike of Other Foods?
Often, yes. Since fennel, anise seed, and star anise share the same core flavor compound as licorice, people who dislike licorice frequently report similar reactions to these other anethole-containing foods.
Is It True That Licorice Tastes Different to People in Different Countries?
Cultural exposure and product formulation both play a role here. Northern European licorice candies, especially salty varieties popular in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, taste quite different from American black licorice, which can shape preference independent of genetic sensitivity.
How Much Real Licorice Root Is Safe to Eat?
Health guidance generally suggests limiting regular consumption of products containing real licorice root extract, since glycyrrhizin can affect blood pressure in larger amounts, particularly for older adults or those with certain heart conditions. Most mass-market black licorice candy in the U.S. uses anise oil rather than real licorice extract, so it’s worth checking the label if this is a concern.
Love it or loathe it, your reaction to licorice is really your nose casting a very confident vote. There’s no changing the ballot, just maybe getting used to the results.