[I have not checked these]
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/Anise_Licorice.htm
Question:
I really enjoy your web site and find it extremely interesting and helpful. I am currently living abroad in Israel and yesterday the discussion arose among two ex-pat Americans and two Israelis as to the difference between anise and licorice. Could you elaborate? I imagine that it might also be helpful to add it to your very impressive Culinary Dictionary! Thanks for your attention and assistance! - Rena Shpiegel (2/27/02)
Answers:
I found a great web site on licorice and anise seed. This site also has photos. Since I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel, I’m sending the site to you (just click on the underlined):
Licorice:http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Glyc_gla.html
Anise Seed:
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Pimp_ani.html
>>>>Licorice:http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Glyc_gla.html<<<<
Adding to my story-teller reputation, I must tell you about an experience with Licorice...
While living in Texas, Grandpaw Loomis was one who I frequently exchanged information and rememberances with.
He was quite a character - The youngest of 9, he ran away from the farm in Vermont at the tender age of 8 and made his way to Boston where he signed on to a ship as a cabin boy.
This didn’t last too long, so he jumped ship when they put in to Houston. He worked many jobs, finally working on a railroad construction crew till he retired.
Anyway, I was going to be flying to Pennsylvania and I asked Grandpaw if there was anything I could get him as there were quite a few stores around Lancaster that had ‘old things’. He said there was one thing - he certainly missed those good old fashioned licorice sticks he remembered as a child.
So, while there, I went into an old Amish general store and found old fashioned licorice sticks, and bought him a bundle of them.
When I gave them to him, he looked at them and asked - ‘What’s this?’ I told him licorice sticks - he said they looked like a bundle of twigs... I told him to chew on one and he lit up - Well, I had out olded Grandpaw... He was thinking of the flavored gelatin sticks and I was able to go him one older... These were licorice root sticks that were from before he could remember from the 1880’s. He told everyone he met for months about it.