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> what made black licorice taste so good It's amazing that people can have such different tastes. I absolutely hate the taste of black licorice. Though the ac

> what made black licorice taste so good It's amazing that people can have such different tastes. I absolutely hate the taste of black licorice. Though the act of poisoning yourself and others for fun is an extremely normalized behavior, and has been for thousands of years. We just call it drinking (alcohol).

Someone 6y ago
“I absolutely hate the taste of black licorice.“ Liquorice is an acquired taste (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquired_taste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquired_taste). You have to learn to like it.
- kempbellt 6y ago
  So is beer and I've learned to enjoy beer. I've yet to learn to like licorice and lost interest in trying.
- gridlockd 6y ago
  I'm quite sure it is genetic. I've hated it since childhood, whereas my mutant childhood friends liked it. I've acquired several tastes since then, I've tried licorice multiple times, to no avail.
  - sundvor 6y ago
    Here, have some Vegemite.
- thaumasiotes 6y ago
  > You have to learn to like it. This is absolutely untrue.
- wrp 6y ago
  Growing up in the USA, my impression was that licorice is one of the most popular candy flavors among children. As an adult, I was surprised to discover that every Korean and Japanese I offered licorice to reacted violently to the taste...wouldn't even try to be polite about it. I doubt it's genetic, so I've often wondered what about their diet predisposes them to have such a negative taste sensation.
  - SideburnsOfDoom 6y ago
    > I doubt it's genetic Why doubt it so much? "It's genetic" would be the simplest explanation why the preference so fixed and polarising. And also why it's concentrated in some geographic regions.
  - fiblye 6y ago
    >Growing up in the USA, my impression was that licorice is one of the most popular candy flavors among children. ...I don't know a single American under the age of 70 who will admit to liking licorice. Everyone I've ever known thinks it's vile. It was popular, like, a century ago. Black licorice now is pretty uncommon.
    - garmaine 6y ago
      I’m an American under 40 who likes licorice. Won’t touch it again after reading this thread though.
  - mikecoles 6y ago
    To increase the sample size, a Japanse student I went to school with introduced to me to Blackjack gum. She liked the flavor too.
- irrational 6y ago
  I wonder if it is like cilantro. It tastes like soap to me, but my wife loves it. Apparently there is a physiological reason for that. Maybe it is similar with black licorice.
- SideburnsOfDoom 6y ago
  > An acquired taste ... You have to learn to like it. Why? it tastes inedible, repulsive and vile to me. I'm happy for your tastes, but people tend to either like licorice from an early age, or never do. The preference seems strongly innate, not "acquired". Why put myself through something horrid that my body does not want and never will?
brundolf 6y ago
Liquorice is one of those things like cilantro that's highly polarizing. You either love it or you deeply, passionately despise it. I too would tend to assume there's a genetic component, though I don't know. It does make for a convenient economy of people who will eat the black jellybeans from others' bags :)

Someone 6y ago

“I absolutely hate the taste of black licorice.“ Liquorice is an acquired taste (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquired_taste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquired_taste). You have to learn to like it.

kempbellt 6y ago
So is beer and I've learned to enjoy beer. I've yet to learn to like licorice and lost interest in trying.
gridlockd 6y ago
I'm quite sure it is genetic. I've hated it since childhood, whereas my mutant childhood friends liked it. I've acquired several tastes since then, I've tried licorice multiple times, to no avail.
- sundvor 6y ago
  Here, have some Vegemite.
thaumasiotes 6y ago
> You have to learn to like it. This is absolutely untrue.
wrp 6y ago
Growing up in the USA, my impression was that licorice is one of the most popular candy flavors among children. As an adult, I was surprised to discover that every Korean and Japanese I offered licorice to reacted violently to the taste...wouldn't even try to be polite about it. I doubt it's genetic, so I've often wondered what about their diet predisposes them to have such a negative taste sensation.
- SideburnsOfDoom 6y ago
  > I doubt it's genetic Why doubt it so much? "It's genetic" would be the simplest explanation why the preference so fixed and polarising. And also why it's concentrated in some geographic regions.
- fiblye 6y ago
  >Growing up in the USA, my impression was that licorice is one of the most popular candy flavors among children. ...I don't know a single American under the age of 70 who will admit to liking licorice. Everyone I've ever known thinks it's vile. It was popular, like, a century ago. Black licorice now is pretty uncommon.
  - garmaine 6y ago
    I’m an American under 40 who likes licorice. Won’t touch it again after reading this thread though.
- mikecoles 6y ago
  To increase the sample size, a Japanse student I went to school with introduced to me to Blackjack gum. She liked the flavor too.
irrational 6y ago
I wonder if it is like cilantro. It tastes like soap to me, but my wife loves it. Apparently there is a physiological reason for that. Maybe it is similar with black licorice.
SideburnsOfDoom 6y ago
> An acquired taste ... You have to learn to like it. Why? it tastes inedible, repulsive and vile to me. I'm happy for your tastes, but people tend to either like licorice from an early age, or never do. The preference seems strongly innate, not "acquired". Why put myself through something horrid that my body does not want and never will?

brundolf 6y ago

Liquorice is one of those things like cilantro that's highly polarizing. You either love it or you deeply, passionately despise it. I too would tend to assume there's a genetic component, though I don't know. It does make for a convenient economy of people who will eat the black jellybeans from others' bags :)