A free-flowing, non-blocking licorice extract is achieved by breaking raw licorice extract into pieces, transferring the pieces of licorice extract to an extruder assembly, processing the licorice extract through said extruder assembly in accordance with a predetermined temperature profile, forcing the licorice extract through a die, cooling the extruded licorice extract to within a predetermined temperature range, severing the extruded licorice extract into pieces of predetermined length and curing the cut pieces for period of time in excess of 12 hours by exposing the cut pieces to moving air.