# Army and Navy sweets

**Canonical URL:** https://sweeties.net/wiki/army-and-navy-sweets/
**Source:** sweeties.net, online pick and mix sweet shop

## Summary

Army and Navy sweets are black, lozenge shaped boiled sweets with a liquorice and herb flavour, named, it seems, after First World War servicemen.

## Description

Army and Navy sweets are a traditional British boiled sweet: black, lozenge shaped and flavoured with liquorice and herbs. Their slightly medicinal flavour is similar to cough candy, and they are often eaten in winter: see cough candy
The name
The name probably comes from the sweets' popularity with service personnel during the First World War.
The opium story
The original Army and Navy sweets are reported to have contained opium. The recipe sold today contains nothing of the kind.
What is in them now
Army and Navy, as listed by Sweets and Candy. Sugar, glucose syrup, water, citric acid, flavouring, and vegetable carbon, E153, as the colour. The retailer describes them as dark, hard boiled sweets with a deep liquorice flavour and a touch of herbal warmth, individually wrapped, and lists them as suitable for vegetarians.
The recipe lists no liquorice extract. The liquorice taste comes from flavouring, and the black comes from vegetable carbon, not from liquorice itself: see why is black liquorice black? and is aniseed the same as liquorice?
Allergy and safety points
Allergens. The retailer warns that its Army and Navy may contain nuts, milk, soya and gluten: see what does may contain mean on sweets?Hard sweets. They are hard boiled sweets, and the NHS says not to give younger children hard foods such as boiled sweets: see hard sweets and younger children
For other sweets with a medicinal edge, see Coltsfoot Rock and Victory V lozenges
In our pick and mix
We do not sell Army and Navy sweets, but we do sell SW038 and SW049. Each card opens up to show the full ingredients and allergens for the sweets we actually stock.

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