What Are Blackjack Sweets?

Blackjack sweets are a type of confectionery that originated in the United Kingdom. The sweets are small, black, and cylindrical in shape, with a white stripe running around the middle.

They are traditionally made from liquorice, sugar, and aniseed oil, but modern variations may also contain ingredients such as cocoa powder or fruit flavourings.

Blackjack sweets are said to have first been produced in the early 1800s by a British confectioner named George Jennings. Jennings was reportedly inspired to create the sweets after observing how popular blackjack games were at local fairs. The original recipe for Blackjack sweets called for liquorice root, which was boiled in water to extract its flavour.

The flavoured water was then combined with sugar and aniseed oil, and the mixture was cooked until it thickened into a syrup. This syrup was then poured into moulds to create the distinctive Blackjack sweets shape.

Today, Blackjack sweets are still made using many of the same ingredients and methods as they were over 200 years ago. However, some modern variations of the sweets may contain additional ingredients such as cocoa powder or fruit flavourings.

Regardless of their ingredients, Blackjack sweets remain a popular treat in the United Kingdom and are often enjoyed as a nostalgic treat by adults who remember eating them as children.