Aniseed ball
Encyclopedia
Aniseed balls are a type of hard round sweet
sold in the UK
, New Zealand
and Australia
. They are shiny and dark brownish red, and hard like Gobstopper
s, but generally only 1cm across. They are generally sold by weight- traditionally, for example, they were sold by quarter pound
. Today, sweets are sold by metric
units in sweet shops in the UK and Ireland.
They were a staple traditional sweet in the 50s and 60s in Australia and New Zealand but have become rare in recent years.
They are flavoured by aniseed oil
, have a very strong aniseed flavour, and last for a long time in the mouth before dissolving. In the centre of the ball is normally a whole rapeseed
, which is used for forming layers of sugar around, although other nuclei are sometimes used, for example a sugar crystal.
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
sold in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. They are shiny and dark brownish red, and hard like Gobstopper
Gobstopper
Gobstoppers, known as jawbreakers in Canada and the United States, are a type of hard confectionery. They are usually round, usually range from about 1 cm across to 3 cm across and are traditionally very hard.The term...
s, but generally only 1cm across. They are generally sold by weight- traditionally, for example, they were sold by quarter pound
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
. Today, sweets are sold by metric
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
units in sweet shops in the UK and Ireland.
They were a staple traditional sweet in the 50s and 60s in Australia and New Zealand but have become rare in recent years.
They are flavoured by aniseed oil
Anise
Anise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...
, have a very strong aniseed flavour, and last for a long time in the mouth before dissolving. In the centre of the ball is normally a whole rapeseed
Rapeseed
Rapeseed , also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rappi, rapaseed is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae...
, which is used for forming layers of sugar around, although other nuclei are sometimes used, for example a sugar crystal.