Licorice is 50 times sweeter than sugar!
Origin
Licorice is known with the scientific name of Glycyrrhiza Glabra. A plant belonging to the Leguminose family, a perennial herbaceous. This name indicates also the vegetable extract that it is obtained by boiling the roots. It is originally from South-West Asia and the Mediterranean area and licorice has a long history: appreciated by Egyptians and Assyrians, traces of it can be found in Chinese literature from 5000 years ago. It was also one of the most used medical remedies in ancient Greece. Admired by Hippocrates and Galen, eaten by Tutankamon and Napoleon, it was introduced in Europe just in 1400 by Dominican monks. Also known because of its sweetness (there was a song during the Middle Ages saying “love is a dream, sweet as milk and licorice”), for a very long time it was sold only in pharmacies.
Cookit
Licorice comes from the Greek word “sweet root”: it is 50 times sweeter than sugar! For centuries it was used as a natural remedy, and today science confirms its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. It is perfect to calm cough, it facilitates digestion and it is truly refreshing. Tasty and healthy… During the 50’s in US, it was sold as a remedy to quit smoking: that’s why now a day we still can find it in tobacco shops! A suggestion: it is always good not to abuse of licorice, especially if you suffer from hypertension.
Did you know
Licorice can be bought as a stick or candy. But it can also be found as a powder and as a stick to give some taste to recipes and infusions. The harvest goes from autumn to winter, but you can find it in stores all year long. Its slightly bitter taste becomes sweet once you chew it. It is used to cook usually as an aroma, combined with meat or fish, but mostly for desserts. It is very used to give an extra flavor to beer and liquors like Sambuca. Still talking about beverages, this perfumed plant is the principal ingredient of sus, an infusion very much appreciated by Arabs and sold on the streets by peddlers, who say out loud “licorice or flushed!”. If you want to try a creative recipe, try risotto with pumpkin, beer and licorice!
