Licorice


Slices of Dried Licorice Root [Liquorice (UK); Glycyrrhiza glabra (European)   |   G. lepidota (American)   |   G. uralensis (Chinese)   |   G. echinata (Russian)]

These plants are used mainly for a flavoring extracted from their roots, which is used in sweets and medicines in the West and as a medicinal in China. This extract is about 50 times as sweet a sucrose. Dried root is used in China and Korea as a recipe ingredient.

American "wild licorice" is less cultivated than the European, but is marketed as a medicinal and as a flavoring. It is often used to sweeten tobacco products.

In excess, licorice can cause high blood pressure and is toxic to the liver. Sensitivity various greatly, but some health agencies say licorice candy should be limited to 2-1/2 to 5-1/2 ounces (70 to 150 gms) per day.

More on Varieties of Beans.


Buying:

  Dried root can be found in specialty markets serving a Chinese or Korean community. The photo specimens were purchased from an Asian market in Los Angeles for 2016 US $1.29 for 2 ounces. The roots were about 0.83 inch diameter.


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