What Is Licorice?
Everything you need to know about this amazing herb’s history!
Licorice, (Glycyrrhiza glabra), also spelled liquorice, perennial herb of the pea family (Fabaceae), and the flavouring, confection, and folk medicine made from its roots. Licorice is similar to anise (Pimpinella anisum) in flavour; both plants are somewhat sweet and slightly bitter. The Greek name glykyrrhiza, of which the word licorice is a corruption, means “sweet root.”
History of Licorice
Licorice is being used by the humans from million of years. It had been a major constituent of many natural medicines. It is also used as throat pastille. It is extracted from the roots of Glycyrrhiza Glabra . Licorice has a deep tap root that can grow up to 6 feet deep and rhizomes that spread out from the plant. It’s these rhizomes that are actually used for their beneficial properties. Licorice grows on dry grassy plains in northwest China and Europe, and one of the Glycyrrhiza’s 18 species grows in North America (though not traditionally used).
China (2300 BC)
China’s Emperor Shennong had the Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic, Pen-Ts’ao stated it as a magic plant which can rejuvenate ageing men. The Chinese (dating back maintained that eating the root would give them strength and endurance. Licorice still holds a prominent place in Chinese herbal combinations since it is believed to harmonize with the action of other herbs.
Egyptian Treasures (1350 BC)
Researchers still don’t know why licorice root was found in the treasures of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb. Though it is clear that it was used as a vital ingredient of medicine in that times.
Cough Syrup & Ancient Greece
In ancient Greece, It was used as main element of cough syrups and was a superb remedy of all kinds of cough due to its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. This tradition is still being followed and almost all cough syrups have licorice as their vital part.
Medicine To Candy
It is 50-100 times more sweet than sucrose that is why it can be used as a great alternative sweetener. This journey of medicine to candy continues through Italy, France, Germany and China. Licorice flavoring isn’t just used in sweets, it’s also used in soft drinks, and in some herbal teas where it provides a sweet aftertaste. The flavor is common in medicines to disguise unpleasant flavors. Dutch youth often make their own “drop-water” (licorice water) by putting a few pieces of laurel licorice and a piece of licorice root in a bottle with water and then shaking it to a frothy liquid.
Throughout Italy unsweetened licorice is consumed in the form of small black pieces made from 100% pure licorice extract, giving, as you can imagine, a taste that is both bitter and intense. In Calabria a popular liqueur is made from pure licorice extract and it’s also very popular in Syria where it is sold as a drink.
Licorice is particularly popular in Italy (especially in the South) and Spain in its natural form. The root of the plant is simply dug up, washed and chewed as a mouth freshener. Several reading this will remember licorice sticks being sold in sweet shops throughout the UK in the 50’s and 60’s!
Licorice root can have either a salty or sweet taste. The thin sticks are usually quite salty and sometimes taste like salmiak (salty licorice), whereas the thick sticks are usually quite sweet, with a salty undertone.
Major Cultivators
Licorice grows best in well-drained soils in deep valleys with full sun, along the rivers and channels, along the roads. Feels better on sandy and slightly saline soils, but can also grow on loamy soil. It is cultivated in temperate climates.
- France
- Italy
- Moldova
- Ukraine
- Libiya
- West & Central Asia
- Siberia
- North Caucasus
- Following countries cultivate licorice:-
- Iran
- Afghanistan
- China
- Pakistan
- Iraq
- Uzbekistan
- Azerbaijan
- Turkmenistan
- Turkey
Top Importers
- Germany ($31.6M)
- United States ($18.6M)
- China ($17.7M)
- France ($17.4M)
- Netherlands ($13.9M)