Liquirizia

In Italy this perennial plant grows mostly in the south. In Sicily and Calabria it is harvested after about 4 or 5 years of growth, when it has reached a height of about 1 metre (3 ft). Its flavour is extracted commercially by cooking down the root until it forms a black syrup which is then mixed with sugar and starch to make the sweet liquorice, mostly used in the confectionery industry. I remember when I was quite young I used to buy small batons of liquorice root, which we children chewed to extract the sweet juice.