Page "Liquorice (confectionery)" Paragraph 1

The essential ingredients of liquorice candy are liquorice extract, sugar, and a binder.

The binder is typically starch / flour, gum arabic, or gelatin, or a combination thereof.

Additional ingredients are extra flavouring, beeswax for a shiny surface, ammonium chloride, and molasses to give the end product the familiar black colour.

Ammonium chloride is mainly used in salty liquorice candy, with concentrations up to about 8 percent.

However, even regular liquorice candy can contain up to 2 percent ammonium chloride, the taste of which is less prominent due to the higher sugar concentration.

Some liquorice candy is flavoured with anise oil instead of or in combination with liquorice root extract.