Liquirizia is an occasional gelato flavour, and it appears in various liqueurs, such as rosolio. It’s not only used to make candy, but polvere di liquirizia (liquorice powder) which has many more uses in savoury recipes as well.

Liquorice (licorice) is made from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra which grows wild on the Ionian coast, and have been used for medicines since the 11th century. The extract is said to be 50 times sweeter than sugar; its combined with molasses to achiee the black colour, and often coated with beeswax to make it shiny.

The most famous manufacturer of the sweets, in Rosano, Calabria, has been making it since 1731 and has a museum that tells the whole fascinating story. Still family-run to this day, it’s a member of the Henokiens Association of family-run businesses over 200 years old.

It even had its own postage stamp!