Best licorice, according to chefs
Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Jonathan Gold, Annalisa Barbieri, Genevieve Gergis, Gwynedd Stuart and 1 more. Recommendations come from latimes.com, theguardian.com, epicurious.com and sporked.com.
Snacks & Sweets · The ranking
- 1Top pick
Lakrids by Bülow (chocolate-coated licorice, e.g. Salty Caramel or Passion Fruit)
Chosen by- Genevieve GergisPastry chef & co-owner, Bestia & Bavel · Los Angeles
- Jonathan GoldLate restaurant critic, Los Angeles Times · Pulitzer Prize winner
- Annalisa BarbieriChocolate columnist, The Guardian
Also chosen by- Annalisa Barbieri · Chocolate columnist, The Guardian source ↗
Danish licorice centers in flavored chocolate shells, founded in 2007. Gergis, “not a licorice person” until a customer brought her the salt-and-caramel balls from Copenhagen, announced “This is delicious” to a whole plane and built a Bavel dessert around the flavor; the LA Times calls Gold a “Lakrids devotee.” Barbieri: neither she nor her youngest likes licorice, “and yet we devour these” (her favorite is coffee). Sold at Lakrids shops, Food52 and Amazon.
- 2
Panda Natural Soft Black Licorice (Finnish)
Chosen by- Kendra VaculinFormer test kitchen editor, Bon Appétit
- Gwynedd StuartWriter, Sporked
Also chosen by- Gwynedd Stuart · Writer, Sporked source ↗
Made in Finland since 1927 from four ingredients: molasses, wheat flour, licorice extract and aniseed oil. Vaculin: “To me, the best of all is Panda… the only variety of black licorice I can eat a whole pack of in one sitting,” slightly sweet and subtly herbal. Sporked (7.5/10) liked the chewy honeycomb-shaped bites and “nice, tame, simple flavor.” The pick for licorice skeptics.
- 3
Darrell Lea Soft Australian Black Licorice
Chosen by- Gwynedd StuartWriter, Sporked
Sporked’s best black licorice (9.5/10) in a 2024 tasting of more than a dozen: soft Australian-style logs with “the perfect amount of chew” and a licorice flavor that is “rich and bold,” without the artificial aftertaste Stuart found in Wiley Wallaby’s black. No high-fructose corn syrup. At World Market and most big grocers. Critic-backed, no chef pick yet.
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Questions, answered
- What is the best licorice, according to chefs?
- MyTastr’s top pick is Lakrids by Bülow (chocolate-coated licorice, e.g. Salty Caramel or Passion Fruit), chosen by Genevieve Gergis (Bestia & Bavel); Jonathan Gold (Los Angeles Times); Annalisa Barbieri (The Guardian). Danish licorice centers in flavored chocolate shells, founded in 2007. Gergis, “not a licorice person” until a customer brought her the salt-and-caramel balls from Copenhagen, announced “This is delicious” to a whole plane and built a Bavel dessert around the flavor; the LA Times calls Gold a “Lakrids devotee.” Barbieri: neither she nor her youngest likes licorice, “and yet we devour these” (her favorite is coffee). Sold at Lakrids shops, Food52 and Amazon. Source: latimes.com ↗
- What are the other top picks for licorice?
- No. 2 is Panda Natural Soft Black Licorice (Finnish), chosen by Kendra Vaculin (Epicurious); Gwynedd Stuart (Sporked). No. 3 is Darrell Lea Soft Australian Black Licorice, chosen by Gwynedd Stuart (Sporked). Each card above links to the original source.
- How does MyTastr choose these picks?
- Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.