Licorice + Anise
A cook's pairing more than a chemical one: 15 recipes use both, though they share little aroma. They rank in the top 28% of all ingredient pairs.
Do licorice and anise go together?
Yes, in practice. 15 recipes in our collection combine them, and they share 8 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 28% of every ingredient pair we score.
What they have in common
They overlap on 8 flavor molecules: 23% of licorice's 35. Among the shared key aromas are alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral) and phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey). So the pairing rests more on how cooks use them than on shared aroma.
What each one brings
licorice
The caramel side. Caramel notes make up 13% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 1% for anise. It carries 27 molecules anise doesn't have.
anise
The fresh, green side. Green notes make up 9% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 3% for licorice. It carries 269 molecules licorice doesn't have.
Add a third ingredient
- Fennel: the best fit for both, top 31% of pairs with licorice, top 1% with anise.
- Star anise: top 29% of pairs with licorice, top 1% with anise.
- Cardamom: top 37% of pairs with licorice, top 1% with anise.
- Cinnamon: top 35% of pairs with licorice, top 1% with anise.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with licorice and anise
Almost always mains: 1 of the 1 recipes with a course label are mains.
Can you swap one for the other?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: licorice has 27 molecules anise doesn't, and anise has 269 that licorice doesn't. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
All 8 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 27 only in licorice and the 269 only in anise.
Licorice and anise questions
Do licorice and anise go together?
A cook's pairing more than a chemical one: 15 recipes use both, though they share little aroma. They rank in the top 28% of all ingredient pairs.
What do licorice and anise have in common?
They overlap on 8 flavor molecules: 23% of licorice's 35. Among the shared key aromas are alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral) and phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey). So the pairing rests more on how cooks use them than on shared aroma.
What goes with licorice and anise?
Fennel is the best third ingredient: top 31% of pairs with licorice and top 1% with anise. Star anise and cardamom also fit both.
What can you make with licorice and anise?
Almost always mains: 1 of the 1 recipes with a course label are mains. Common dishes include Bak Kut Teh.
Can I use anise instead of licorice?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: licorice has 27 molecules anise doesn't, and anise has 269 that licorice doesn't. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
Compare other ingredients
Ranks compare this pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. Molecule counts are what the studies and databases we aggregate have reported for each ingredient: a measure of coverage, not a full census. How we score pairs
Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). Compound similarity analysis: Licorice vs Anise. https://compkitchen.com/compare/licorice-vs-anise. Accessed 2026-11-06.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_licorice_vs_anise_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Licorice vs Anise},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/licorice-vs-anise},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-06}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.