A nostalgic sweet is staging a comeback, from candy stores to restaurant menus.“Licorice is having a renaissance,” said Robin’s Candy owner Robin Helfand (robinscandy.com).“… ...

They can become straws, fake braces, candy bracelets, and the perfect movie snack. But here's why Twizzlers don't taste like the licorice they seem to be.

Of course, there are black Twizzlers and Good & Plenty and Jelly Belly, whose spokeswoman tells me that licorice is actually the brand’s third-most-popular flavor, according to customer polling.

BLACK LICORICE, Toots. As a flavor, ... She adds, “Its light licorice-coffee base and white chocolate chips balance out any bitterness from the licorice chips. ...