Liquorice Root

The liquorice plant is a member of the pea family and native to the Middle East and south-west Asia. A concentrated extract made from the root is used as the well-known confectionery flavouring and in the making of the liquorice-flavoured sambuca, an Italian liqueur. In China the root is dried and sliced for culinary purposes — it becomes yellow in appearance and has a characteristic sweet liquorice smell. Liquorice has long been valued as a medicinal herb, particularly for its role in relieving constipation and as a Chinese or Indian treatment for gastric ulcers. Chewing on the root is also said to relieve a dry cough. Available: Asian food stores or Chinese herbalists.