Is there a more Dad-coded “lolly” than a hunk of ropey black licorice? Seriously. A straw poll of the delicious. office concluded – very scientifically – that dads appear to be the only people in Australia actually eating licorice for pleasure. And even then, we’re sceptical. 

Many of us have early memories of being granted a piece of “Dad’s licorice” that had been stashed away on a shelf like some kind of onyx contraband. We were in on something. We were getting a lolly. Dad never shares his lollies. Who even knew that Dad had lollies? Then bitter, vegetal, cloying aniseed rushed across our tongues and up our noses. What on earth was that? Why would anyone eat that? Why won’t the flavour go away?! Why won’t anyone help me?

Betrayed by your father and by a lolly. It’s a rite of passage and the thread that binds us.

This is why we have to assume that the only reason dads eat the black stuff is so they don’t have to share it with the kids. Presumably, there is some sort of compulsory training that men go through when they learn they’re going to become a dad. A desensitising program of sorts with secret handshakes, sterile bunkers and a lot of mouthwash.

Anecdotal evidence (probably) suggests that approximately 20 percent of black licorice purchases are made when a dad goes rogue at the supermarket once a year. The other 80 percent is in anticipation of gifting to a dad on Father’s Day. Anthropologists are still unclear at what point in history we collectively agreed that Darrell Lea was the licorice of choice, but it is widely accepted as common knowledge. 

Related story: 8 foods people only pretend to like (licorice, we’re looking at you)

Is licorice good for you?

Groups around Asia and Africa have been using licorice root for thousands of years for its reported health benefits, including a belief that the plant can help with digestion, sore throats and fever, and becuase it ‘tastes good’.

Further to claims that dads enjoy licorice, they might just be eating it for a thrill. A 2020 report of a Massachusetts man overdosing on licorice echoes similar medical cases. The licorice plant contains glycyrrhizic acid, which gives it its unique flavour, smell and toxicity. When eaten in large quantities, glycyrrhizic acid can disrupt how the body retains sodium and excretes potassium, leading to headaches, swelling, high blood pressure and – eventually – the heart’s ability to function.

Tastes gross and can kill you? Honestly, what are they trying to prove?

Of all the lollies in the supermarket, it is the obsidian excuse of a treat that dads across the nation have stubbornly determined is The One For Them. The next phase of research will investigate why mums love rocky road so much. More to come.

Related story: Someone has created a licorice, blackcurrant and coriander gin and really?