Well over one hundred years ago, Sen-Sen introduced their new product, "Throat Ease and Breath Perfume," the first commercially available breath freshener. Some people also eat these like candy, although the sugar and/or sweetener content is so low that it is hard for me to think of them that way.

At one time, this breath freshener came in rolls and were lozenges, resembling dark Lifesavers. The traditional format, and the one that is currently available, is very unusual. They come in a foil pack and, when you shake some out into your palm, they look like small, crumpled pieces of charred wood.

What are the ingredients? According to the packet in front of me, they are: licorice, gum Arabic, maltodextrin, sugar, and natural and artificial flavors. I am not sure that quite fits with their description of the product, again from the back of the packet: "blend of licorice and rare herbs." Where are the "rare herbs?"

My experience is two-fold:  direct use and peripheral (my dad loves Sen-Sen).  I am not a big fan of black licorice, but I kind of like this stuff.  It is not sweet, but it is refreshing.  It has a definite herbal taste (anise?).  when my dad opens a packet, I can smell its fresh aroma five-six feet away.  Sen-Sen gives the breath a perfume-y smell, reminiscent of lavender and licorice mixed.

By the way, my dad remembers Sen-Sen from the 1930s, and he says this Sen-Sen is the same as ever.

Sen-Sen is hard to find in stores, but can be bought from Amazon and other online retailers.  I recently bought my father a box of twelve packets, 0.1 ounces each, for $10.99, from Amazon, with free shipping.

Recommended: Yes