As with most roots, size and flavors vary.   To assure consistent quality MAFCO's root   inventory (the world's largest) is from plants   which are 3 to 4 years old to provide optimum   flavor.   When root stocks first arrive at MAFCO,   random samples are taken to determine   the chemical and physical characteristics   of roots from various sources and to assure   a consistently flavored finished product.   Because of our large inventory customers   can be sure of an uninterrupted supply of   finished licorice products of consistent quality

Licorice roots from various sources are carefully selected and blended for   optimum chemical and flavor characteristics. Origin, soil condition and age, all   affect root quality.   Shredding and grinding achieve the ideal matchstick size to expose maximum   surface for an efficient extraction process.

Shredded root is extracted with hot water  under a countercurrent process.  This vital operation, involving extraction,  maceration or percolation, the heart of  the manufacturing process, uses methods  based on MAFCO's years of experience.  The extracted liquor is filtered and  evaporated to remove excess water to  achieve the desired concentration.

The concentred liquor is then divided into three streams

One stream goes to the  spray drying process to  create a very dry powder

Another stream goes to through an additional evaporation process to create a concentrated liquid

and the last stream goes to the kettle finishing process where additional water is evaporated to form a dense block. The liquor, now highly concentrated, is settled into baskets overnight. Longer exposure of the liquor to high temperature results in a browning reaction which delivers stronger licorice flavor