Location: Southern Turkey
Botanical classification: Glycyrrhiza glabra
Licorice is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Europe and Asia. Its woody roots are widely used as a natural sweetener due to their high sugar content (the roots are up to 50 times sweeter than sugar itself).
Licorice is one of the most widely used medicinal plants in the world, well known to the Greeks and Romans who used it to clear the voice and decongest the bronchi. From that time, it has been attributed with properties to calm coughs, relieve stomach aches, clarify the voice, and soothe the mood.
Pairings:
Licorice is mainly used in infusions. You should fray the stick and use one teaspoon in about 1/4 liter of water, steeping it for about 10 minutes.
You can also incorporate it into your red fruit desserts (in which case it should be ground beforehand).
It is recommended for colds, bronchitis, sore throats, laryngitis, gastritis, and stomach ulcers.
Health benefits:
Licorice acts on the respiratory system (coughs and inflammation of the respiratory tract), digestive system (gastroduodenal ulcers, gastritis, belching, flatulence), and helps fight chronic fatigue and autoimmune diseases.
