Liquorice root

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Some liquorice root that looks like a pile of wood chips.

Liquorice root that looks like a wooden stick.

Liquorice root candy, or properly Glycyrrhiza glabra, is the dried root of the liquorice plant, which is eaten as a candy.

Sticks of liquorice typically have a diameter between two and ten millimetres. Although they look like plain wooden sticks, they are soft enough to be chewed on. They used to be popular among Dutch, Danish and Swedish children.

Liquorice root can have either a salty or sweet taste. The thin sticks are usually quite salty and sometimes taste like salmiak (salty liquorice), whereas the thick sticks are usually quite sweet, with a salty undertone.

The extract of the liquorice root is one of the main ingredients in liquorice confectionery.

Liquorice root can be boiled like you would with tea leaves to create liquorice root tea. This tea has a very peculiar taste, and is often either enjoyed or disliked.

Liquorice root is also widely available in Denmark, especially in The Old Town of Århus. It is also sold by the drugstore and drysalter chain Matas.

Liquorice root has been traditionally used as a herbal remedy against different symptoms, such as cough and catarrh.^[1]

People with heart conditions or high blood pressure should avoid ingesting extensive amounts of liquorice, as it can further heighten blood pressure and lead to stroke.