For most Americans, the word “licorice” brings to mind a kind of candy which may come in various shapes, color, and flavors. In reality, many of the various forms of licorice are not really licorice at all, for licorice is actually a flavor which comes from the root of a legume, Glycyrrhiza glabra, which is native to southern Europe, India, and parts of Asia.
The word “licorice” (also “liquorice”) has the deep meaning of “sweet root.” It entered English about 1200 from the Anglo-French “lycoryc” which came from the Old French “licorece” which came from the Late Latin “liquiritia” which came from the Greek “glykyrrhiza” which is made up of “glykys” meaning “sweet” plus “rhiza” meaning “root.”
Humans have used licorice in many ways for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found evidence of licorice in the tombs of ancient Egypt. Written records mention the use of licorice in India, and in China.
While licorice is commonly associated with candy, most of the commercially produced licorice (63%) is actually used as a flavoring agent for tobacco products, including cigarettes, moist snuff, chewing tobacco, and pipe tobacco.
While licorice is also used as a flavoring in candy, the actual amount used tends to be very small and the flavor is reinforced with aniseed oil. Consumers in the European Union are most likely to purchase licorice-flavored confections. It should be pointed out that “red licorice” which is popular in the United States, isn’t really licorice and contains no licorice flavoring.
Licorice is felt by many people to have medicinal use: sore throats, bronchitis, cough, and stomach pains. According to WebMD:
“Licorice is also used for osteoarthritis, systemic lupus, erythematosus (SLE), liver disorders, malaria, tuberculosis, food poisoning, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).”
There are more glowing reports from other
sources:
“Licorice is useful for many ailments including asthma, athlete's foot, baldness, body odor, bursitis, canker sores, chronic fatigue, depression, colds and flu, coughs, dandruff, emphysema, gingivitis and tooth decay, gout, heartburn, HIV, viral infections, fungal infections, ulcers, liver problems, Lyme disease, menopause, psoriasis, shingles, sore throat, tendinitis, tuberculosis, ulcers, yeast infections, prostate enlargement and arthritis.”
But wait: there’s more:
“It has an aspirin-like action and is helpful in relieving fevers and soothing pain such as headaches. Its anti-allergenic effect is very useful for hay fever, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and bronchial asthma. Possibly by its action on the adrenal glands, licorice has the ability to improve resistance to stress. It should be thought of during times of both physical and emotional stress, after surgery or during convalescence, or when feeling tired and run down.”
The list goes on and licorice looks like a natural miracle healing plant.
The Food and Drug Administration cautions:
“Black licorice is an old fashioned treat that can be harmful if you eat too much. If you’re 40 or older, eating 2 ounces of black licorice a day for two weeks could cause an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia).”
Welcome to Street Prophets Saturday, an open thread at the intersection of Politics and Religion. Feel free to discuss food (including licorice), pets, politics, cars, or anything else.