Liquorice, Licorice

Where does Liquorice grow?

Found in: Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Asia, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Crete, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Europe, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indochina, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Maldives, Mediterranean, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Russia, SE Asia, Serbia, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United States, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yugoslavia

Notes: There are about 18 Glycyrrhiza species. It has anticancer properties. It is also useful for its anti-diabetic benefits.

Status: Much licorice sold is an artifical product. Licorice contains glycyrrhizin which is 50 times sweeter than sucrose. It is a cultivated food plant.

Growing Liquorice, Licorice

Cultivation: It is grown from seed or cuttings from the stolons. The seed has a hard seed coat and needs to be treated before sowing. Seeds only germinate slowly. Growing from cuttings is more easy. Root cuttings 20-40 cm long are used. These can be planted vertically in the soil. Plants are often grown with 30 cm between plants and 60 cm between rows.

Edible Uses: The extract from the roots is used to flavour foods which are eaten. The sweet root is chewed. It is the source of licorice. The root is used to flavour drinks. The leaves are used for tea.

Production: Plants make slow growth during the first two years. Plants are ready for harvesting in the third or fourth year. The plant is harvested and the roots washed then cut into 30-60 cm long lengths. Roots can be sold or used fresh or dried. The roots are finely cut or crushed to produce a pulp. The material is then boiled and evaporated to produce an extract.

Nutrition Info

Liquorice, Licorice Photos

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