Who are the people eating licorice? Candy lovers on Reddit ask that same question again and again. They want to know who's fallen for this scrumptious traditional treat.
There's even a mosaic artist, San Francisco-based Jason Mecier, who creates celebrity portraits with black and red licorice twists, though some of his other works use other materials and candy as well. From famous historical figures to some of today's hottest celebrities, we'll fill you in on as many delicious details as we can.
Actors and Actresses
When Jimmy Kimmel made it rain candy during the 2017 Oscar Awards, what fell onto the crowd? Red licorice. If you watch a clip on YouTube, those don't look like disappointed faces there in the audience.
Iron Man actress, Gwyneth Paltrow, loves the taste of black licorice candy and couldn't resist it even during her SNAP food challenge in 2015. We don't blame you G - we love it too! And Paltrow is in good company, one of the stars of post-World War 2 musical comedies, Danny Kaye, nibbled licorice while watching talk shows and Julia Child, his daughter Dena Kaye, told Architectural Digest in November 2000.
Ryan Gosling, known for his roles in La La Land and Drive, is a self-proclaimed "candy freak." One of his favorites - red licorice laces. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actress, Marin Hinkle, another actress with a sweet tooth loves licorice candy and gummy candies according to Hollywood Reporter. She loves anything with a sweet, tangy flavor.
Other actresses who love black licorice include Hilary Duff and Tiffani Thiessen. Duff craved the taste of black licorice so much during her pregnancy that her husband went to six stores to find the brand she wanted. Thiessen made sure that the first candy her daughter tried was black licorice because it's her own favorite.
Maybe the biggest red licorice fan of all is the Golden Girls actress, Betty White. Her Hot in Cleveland co-stars, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick - as well as White herself - have commented on Betty's love of the chewy treat. It's one of the foods White credits with giving her such longevity.
Musicians
In 2012, between her Speak Now tour and the album Red, one of Taylor Swift's backstage demands was for a bag of red licorice - along with boxed macaroni and cheese, bottled water, and a couple of pints of ice cream. If writing about love's ups and downs doesn't make her relatable, her choice in snacks sure does!
Another red American licorice lover is none other than Snoop Dogg. Who knew that Swift and Snoop had so much in common?
An artist who's collaborated with Swift in the past and famous in his own right, Ed Sheeran loves allsorts style black licorice. In fact, he loves them so much that when his mom started making jewelry, she made them in the shape of his favorite licorice candy! If you want to try the treat that brings the Sheeran family so many delicious memories, try our Mega Mix.
Historical Figures
If you follow stories about licorice, you already have heard that King Tutankhamun was sent to the afterlife with licorice for tea in his tomb. Alexander the Great brought it on all his military expeditions because his medical advisor used it to help alleviate thirst among the troops as they marched.
Even Julius Caesar consumed it, most likely as a treatment for his epilepsy. While another great military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, used licorice to help stay calm on the battlefield.
And Everyone In Between
When interviewed by US Weekly Magazine, Brie Bella, formerly of WWE fame, said in an article about 25 things you might not know about her that she always has black licorice candy in her pantry. It's right up there with burritos for her as far as favorite foods go.
Bethenny Frankel, who you may know from The Real Wives of New York City or her line of Skinnygirl foods and weight loss self-help books, credits black licorice as one of the foods that help her keep her figure. It's one of the sweet foods that she indulges in - in reasonable portions.
When filming the Lord of the Rings movies, director Peter Jackson had the actors who played orcs drink licorice-based mouthwash to help turn their mouths black. We don't recommend you go that far, but maybe if Sauron and his forces had more licorice, they would've been more sweet-tempered (it couldn't hurt, right?)
We've even got sugar-free bear hugs and Finnish licorice bites and gluten-free varieties like our Black and Strawberry Pups and Red or Black Scotties for anyone who wants to try the experiment with their own wild bunch!
And celebrity chef Nigella Lawson's love for salty black licorice divided her fans when she posted a recipe for licorice pudding on her Instagram. With a silky texture and fantastic licorice flavor, you won't catch us complaining!
