Flickr/jessicafm

Licorice -- a sweet diabetes treatment?

The cure for diabetes might be ... candy?

Scientists have discovered that licorice root, the raw material for licorice candy, may be effective in treating Type 2 diabetes, the Atlantic reports.

A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, has identified a group of natural substances in licorice root called amorfrutins. Using a mouse model, the scientists found that amorfrutins reduce blood sugar levels and inflammation that would otherwise be present in the mice suffering from diabetes. As an added bonus, ingesting the amorfrutins prevented the development of a fatty liver, a common side effect of diabetes and an excessively fat-rich diet.

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Lollyphile

Wonder what would happen if you dipped this in a bowl of pho... From Lollyphile, the good people who brought us absinthe lollys: introducing Sriracha-flavored lollipops. We suppose it was just a matter of time before someone thought of making the famous sauce into a candy.

The sriracha craze has been taking over the Asian-fusion culinary scene for a while. T.G.I. Friday's recently added it to its new Korean tacos, and there are recipes for sriracha marinara sauce and sriarcha pineapple online. Endless Simmer even came up with a "100 Ways to Use Sriracha" list last year. And if you think that wasn't enough, hard-core fans have an entire Tumblr, called Fuck Yeah Sriracha, dedicated to the beloved condiment.

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Flickr/steakpinball

Black jelly beans have their fans

In homage to this Sunday's debut of season five of Mad Men on AMC, Squid Ink presents this imaginary brainstorming session among the advertising staff of Sterling Cooper Draper Price.

Roger Sterling: OK, everyone. We have an important new account: Teenee Beanee Luxor Licorice Jelly Beans. What've you got?

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Flickr/Schoko-Riegel

The king-size Snickers bar is going the way of the woolly mammoth.

Shrink-size me? Candy bar maker Mars Inc. has announced that it is doing away with king-size candy bars. The company says that by the end of 2013, it will only sell chocolate products that have 250 calories per portion, the Chicago Tribune reports.

While some might see the move as a cost-saving measure, Mars insists the action is part of a health-and-nutrition effort. Questions that come to mind: Should a candy company really be concerning itself with health and nutrition? Shouldn't it leave that to the tofu makers? And, doesn't this mean that a person will just buy more candy bars and thus spend more than he would have on a king-size candy bar?

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S. Bonar

Mr. Bear keeps Godiva's 15-piece assortment in a red satin box (left) away from See's traditional red heart with assorted chocolates.

This week's pre-Valentine's Day Food Fight pits a cute little mom-and-son candy shop against a sophisticated European chocolatier. This well-matched bout won't be over until the combatants are oozing cherry cordial.

See's Famous Old Time Candies was founded in 1921 on Western Avenue in Los Angeles by Charles See using the recipes of his mother, Mary. The See's website states that the company makes its more than 100 varieties of candies from the "choicest and finest grade raw ingredients from all over the world." Today See's is headquartered in San Francisco, and there are more than 200 shops in the West. Since 1972, it has been owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. Some of their most popular flavors are Bordeaux, Scotchmallow (layered caramel and marshmallow) and chocolate buttercream.

Godiva Chocolatier was founded 80 years ago in Brussels, Belgium, by master chocolatier Joseph Draps. The company produces elegant, hand-crafted chocolates known for their smoothness, shell-molded designs and gold ballotin box packaging. Today there are more than 450 Godiva shops in more than 80 countries worldwide, including 275 in North America. The first Godiva shop opened in the U.S. in 1972. Many of Godiva's chocolates contain hazelnut praline, a European favorite. (Which is great if you love hazelnut, not so fabulous if you don't.)

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photo credit: Janne in Osaka

Jurassic Chocolat

Valentine's gifting is especially tricky for women. You want your gift to tell him how you feel, without telling him how you feel. (Not because you're cryptic or unsure of how you really feel, but because he's not a heart-shaped box kind of guy and lacy pink things don't fit either and anyway that's what cards are for, right?)

The process is simplified in Japan, where Valentine's Day is celebrated by one-way gifting: women to men, only. Honmei choco, or prospective winner chocolate for special someones, and giri choko, obligation chocolates, for male bosses and coworkers. Naturally the options are more dude-worthy, the messages more specific. Because why give a heart when your feelings would be better described with a chocolate bug? Turn the page for four of our favorite Japanese Valentine's Day chocolates.

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Yahoo Sports

Marshawn Lynch enjoying some Skittles on the sideline

The toughest, most bruising running back in the NFL has been fined $10,000 for wearing Skittles shoes. Nicknamed "Beast Mode," Marshawn Lynch is most widely known for running through eight defenders in a 67 yard touchdown run to beat the Saints in the playoffs last year. The Seattle Seahawks player also has an obsession with Skittles candy, dating back to high school when his mom gave him a bag of Skittles before each game. Only now, his love of the rainbow-colored candy has gotten him in trouble with the league.

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Screenshot of Gastropoda's Twitter page

Jonas Laberg

You may have done some amazing holiday baking recently, but we're pretty sure you made nothing as gnarly and awesome as this sinister pig sculpted from 10 kilos of marzipan. That's 22 pounds of sweet almond paste crafted into a demon dessert worthy of a Gwar show.

Norwegian Jonas Laberg made this sweet treat as a Christmas present for two girls aged 7 and 5, but realized his good intentions might freak out his friends' young daughters.

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sugarbabycookbook.com

Homemade Chocolate Mints

Was it really 2006 when Simon L.A. introduced their junk food platter? Ah, how quickly that cotton candy grows up. Which gets us to this year in candy -- quite a good one for the sugar set.

The sugar positives? Some of our favorites this year included the vegetable candies and Mexican piloncillo over at La Zamorana and those French sea salt caramels from Little Flower Candy Company. And the European-style toffee (and cool new Koreatown digs) over at Valerie Confections. Turkish Delight? Nory Locum, for sure. Yes, we are forgetting a lot of candies (Korean ginger candies, Jewish halvah?), so do share your favorites in town. When it comes to sugar diversity, no city does it better than L.A.

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