Red Licorice Candy: Why It Contains No Licorice At All
Red licorice contains no licorice. It is a fruit-flavoured chewy candy, usually strawberry or cherry, extruded into ropes and twists using wheat flour or corn starch and corn syrup. It borro
Red licorice contains no licorice. It is a fruit-flavoured chewy candy, usually strawberry or cherry, extruded into ropes and twists using wheat flour or corn starch and corn syrup. It borrowed the name because in the US, licorice came to describe the rope shape rather than the flavour inside it.
How a plant name became a shape
Real licorice candy is made from extract of the licorice root, cooked into a paste and pushed through a shaped die to make ropes, coins and cats. That extrusion process is the whole trick, and by the early twentieth century American factories had the equipment and the habit.
When those same factories started running fruit-flavoured versions through the same dies, nobody renamed the machine. The product came out looking exactly like licorice, so shops sold it as licorice, and shoppers filed it under licorice. Red Vines began life as red ropes from the American Licorice Company. Twizzlers, already an established black licorice maker, added strawberry in the 1970s and watched it overtake the original.
Two generations later, "licorice" in an American supermarket usually means a red rope with no licorice in it, and the actual licorice sits in a smaller bag next to it labelled black licorice, as if black were a flavour rather than the original product.
What red licorice is actually made of
The ingredient panel on a typical US red rope reads roughly like this: corn syrup, enriched wheat flour, sugar, cornstarch, citric acid, artificial flavour, and Red 40. Some versions use palm oil, glycerin or soy lecithin. What none of them contain is Glycyrrhiza glabra, the licorice plant.
: Red licorice: Black licorice
Flavour source: Strawberry or cherry flavouring: Licorice root extract, sometimes anise
Contains licorice: No: Yes, in real versions
Colour from: Red 40 or similar dye: Caramel colour and the extract itself
Typical base: Wheat flour and corn syrup: Wheat flour, starch or gelatin
Sweetness: High: Medium to low
Aftertaste: Short: Long, spreading, slightly bitter
Glycyrrhizin health note: Does not apply: Applies at high daily intake
That last row matters. The FDA consumer note about black licorice, adults over 40 and roughly two ounces a day for two weeks, exists because of glycyrrhizin. Red licorice has none, so the warning has nothing to do with it. Read more in our black licorice guide.
The gluten problem nobody expects
Because the classic American rope is built on wheat flour, most red licorice contains gluten. That surprises people, since it looks and behaves like a gummy candy, and gummies are usually wheat-free.
If you are shopping for a coeliac household or stocking a gluten-free shelf, the rope format is the one to check hardest. Nordic and Dutch fruit chews are generally built on starch or gelatin instead. In our catalogue, the Matthijs lines are listed as gluten-free, halal, vegan and vegetarian, which makes them the straightforward answer when someone asks for a chewy fruit candy without wheat. Our gluten-free Swedish candy guide goes through the whole range.
Is red licorice worse than black licorice?
Not worse, just different, and honestly not comparable. Red licorice is a sweet fruit chew competing with gummies and taffy. Black licorice is a flavour-forward adult candy competing with dark chocolate and coffee. Anyone who tries to rank them is comparing two products that share a shape and a shelf tag.
What is fair to say is that red licorice is the mildest, sweetest thing in the aisle and black licorice is among the strongest. That is why they sell to different people, and why a candy store should merchandise them apart rather than together.
Better red candy than red licorice
If what you actually want is a chewy red fruit candy, the Nordic and Dutch equivalents do the same job with more flavour definition and, in several cases, without wheat. Strawberry and raspberry are the two flavours Sweden takes most seriously, and they show up across foam, chew and gummy formats. Our Swedish gummy candy guide covers the formats, and Swedish candy vs American candy explains why the flavours read as sharper.
Frequently asked questions
Does red licorice contain any licorice?+
No. Red licorice is flavoured with strawberry or cherry flavouring and contains no licorice root extract. The name comes from the rope shape and the extrusion process, both borrowed from real licorice manufacturing. Check any ingredient panel and you will not find Glycyrrhiza glabra or licorice extract listed.
Why is it called licorice if there is no licorice in it?+
Because in the US, licorice became a word for the format rather than the flavour. Factories that made black licorice ropes started running fruit versions through the same equipment, kept the category name, and the usage stuck. In Europe, licorice still means the flavour, not the shape.
Is red licorice gluten-free?+
Usually not. Most American red ropes are built on wheat flour, so they contain gluten. Some brands use rice or corn instead, but you have to read the label rather than assume. Nordic and Dutch fruit chews more often use starch or gelatin, and our Matthijs lines are listed as gluten-free.
Is red licorice vegan?+
It depends on the recipe. Ropes made with wheat flour and corn syrup often contain no animal ingredients, while gummy-style versions may contain gelatin or beeswax glaze. Confectioner's glaze, which is insect derived, also turns up on shiny pieces. Check each product rather than the category.
Is red licorice healthier than black licorice?+
It avoids the glycyrrhizin issue, so heavy daily eaters do not face the potassium and blood pressure concern that black licorice carries. Beyond that it is sugar and corn syrup, so no. It is a sweeter candy with a longer additive list and no plant extract doing anything useful.
What is Australian red licorice?+
A softer, thicker fruit rope made in the Australian style, usually raspberry rather than strawberry, and still wheat-flour based. It is chewier and less waxy than the American version. Like all red licorice, it contains no licorice root.
Gustav Lindqvist · Candy Master
Gustav grew up in Sweden on a strict Saturday-candy schedule, mixing his lördagsgodis bag at the lösgodis wall before he could spell salmiak. He has spent years tasting his way across Scandinavian candy, and now curates the range at TheSweetsTruck, from BUBS sour skulls to the saltiest licorice most people cannot finish.
Last updated 8/23/2026