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Liquorice
Liquorice (Commonwealth English) or licorice (American English; see spelling differences; IPA: /ˈlɪkərɪʃ, -ɪs/ LIK-ər-ish, -iss) is the common name of Glycyrrhiza glabra, a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring is extracted.
The liquorice plant is an herbaceous perennial legume native to West Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe. Liquorice is used as a flavouring in confectionery, tobacco, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, and is marketed as a dietary supplement.
Liquorice extracts have been used in herbalism and traditional medicine. Excessive consumption of liquorice (more than 2 mg/kg [0.91 mg/lb] per day of pure glycyrrhizinic acid, a key component of liquorice) can lead to undesirable consequences. Clinically, it is suspected that overindulgence in liquorice may manifest as unexplained hypertension, low blood potassium levels (hypokalemia), and muscle weakness in individuals. Consuming liquorice root extract should be avoided during pregnancy.
The word liquorice (UK, CAN), or licorice (US), is derived via the Anglo-French lycorys, from Late Latin liquiritia, itself ultimately derived from Greek γλυκύρριζα, glykyrrhiza (the Modern Greek spelling of the genus is γλυκόριζα, glykoriza) literally meaning 'sweet root' and referring to Glycyrrhiza glabra.
The latter gives the plant binomial name with glabra meaning smooth and referring to the plant's smooth husks; the former came to being via the influence of liquere, 'to become fluid', reflecting the method of extracting the sweet component from the roots.
As of 2021[update], its English common name is spelled 'liquorice' in most of the Commonwealth, but 'licorice' is also used in some countries.
Liquorice is a herbaceous perennial, growing to 1 metre (40 in) in height, with pinnate leaves about 7–15 cm (3–6 in) long, with 9–17 leaflets. The flowers are 8–12 mm (5⁄16–1⁄2 in) long, purple to pale whitish blue, produced in a loose inflorescence. The fruit is an oblong pod, 20–30 mm (3⁄4–1+1⁄8 in) long, containing several seeds. The roots are stoloniferous.
Liquorice root contains triterpenoids, polyphenols, and polysaccharides. Flavonoids account for the yellow root colour. The principal glycoside, glycyrrhizin, exists in content of 7% to 10%, depending on cultivation practices. The isoflavene glabrene and the isoflavane glabridin, found in the roots of liquorice, are phytoestrogens.
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Liquorice
Liquorice (Commonwealth English) or licorice (American English; see spelling differences; IPA: /ˈlɪkərɪʃ, -ɪs/ LIK-ər-ish, -iss) is the common name of Glycyrrhiza glabra, a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring is extracted.
The liquorice plant is an herbaceous perennial legume native to West Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe. Liquorice is used as a flavouring in confectionery, tobacco, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, and is marketed as a dietary supplement.
Liquorice extracts have been used in herbalism and traditional medicine. Excessive consumption of liquorice (more than 2 mg/kg [0.91 mg/lb] per day of pure glycyrrhizinic acid, a key component of liquorice) can lead to undesirable consequences. Clinically, it is suspected that overindulgence in liquorice may manifest as unexplained hypertension, low blood potassium levels (hypokalemia), and muscle weakness in individuals. Consuming liquorice root extract should be avoided during pregnancy.
The word liquorice (UK, CAN), or licorice (US), is derived via the Anglo-French lycorys, from Late Latin liquiritia, itself ultimately derived from Greek γλυκύρριζα, glykyrrhiza (the Modern Greek spelling of the genus is γλυκόριζα, glykoriza) literally meaning 'sweet root' and referring to Glycyrrhiza glabra.
The latter gives the plant binomial name with glabra meaning smooth and referring to the plant's smooth husks; the former came to being via the influence of liquere, 'to become fluid', reflecting the method of extracting the sweet component from the roots.
As of 2021[update], its English common name is spelled 'liquorice' in most of the Commonwealth, but 'licorice' is also used in some countries.
Liquorice is a herbaceous perennial, growing to 1 metre (40 in) in height, with pinnate leaves about 7–15 cm (3–6 in) long, with 9–17 leaflets. The flowers are 8–12 mm (5⁄16–1⁄2 in) long, purple to pale whitish blue, produced in a loose inflorescence. The fruit is an oblong pod, 20–30 mm (3⁄4–1+1⁄8 in) long, containing several seeds. The roots are stoloniferous.
Liquorice root contains triterpenoids, polyphenols, and polysaccharides. Flavonoids account for the yellow root colour. The principal glycoside, glycyrrhizin, exists in content of 7% to 10%, depending on cultivation practices. The isoflavene glabrene and the isoflavane glabridin, found in the roots of liquorice, are phytoestrogens.