Black licorice is bold, black licorice is beautiful, black licorice gets a lot of hate, and in candy circles, black licorice is the most controversial flavor. Candy experts say the disdain for black licorice may be part of a larger society problem, anti-blackness.
It is equally important to point out legacy media and other news outlets are complicit in the critical claims that perpetuate unnecessary harm and divisiveness.
For example, NBC News has an article titled “Why do so many of us hate black licorice? A few theories”, or another by bon appetite called “The Twisted History of Licorice, the Candy We Love to Hate.” Lastly, this gem by The Conversation, “The spooky and dangerous side of black licorice.”
Even the American Heart Association injects fear surrounding black licorice by prognosticating “Black licorice is a candy that should inspire caution.”
Not to be out done, the government got in on the anti-black candy action with the FDA warning “Black licorice can cause heart failure.”
If one does not like black licorice, to each is own. One study conducted by CandyStore.com a few years go surveyed over 10,000 people in all 50 states of the USA and found that the least favorite jelly bean flavor was black licorice. Stating black licorice is your least favorite flavor is a personal preference.
However, after a thoughtful and nuanced examination, look closely at the harmful descriptions the media uses to disparage black licarice like “hate”, “twisted”, “spooky”, “dangerous”, “caution”, and “may break your heart.”
No other candy receives that type of derogatory treatment. Some companies separate black flavors into their own bags which some people may believe is akin to Jim Crow era segregation.
The overwhelming majority of people probably think this is frivolous, but this topic should be debated in the public sphere as that type of degrading language can be attributed to how America views Black lives.
It is crucial to engage in meaningful flavor profile discussions and taste transformation actions to address and dismantle systemic flavor oppression and overall discrimination.