Licorice: An Old Time Favorite With Sweet Benefits

By Michael Parker

Licorice is a plant of the legume family wherein its roots are extracted to give a strong and unique flavoring to different foods and beverages and even medicines. Not only that. In beauty products such as face creams, soaps and lotions, this root is also used due to its many health and beauty benefits. In parts of Asia, particularly, this plant is used as a whitening substance. In groceries, it is normal to see loads of products in this flavor such as personalized sweets and sodas.

Commonly, however, it is in personalized sweets that this flavor is found. In the earlier part of the 20th century, licorice-flavored confections were started to be produced in mass quantity due to the ever growing demand of the people for this flavor. The Chicago-based American Licorice Company produced the classic Black Vines in 1920 and it became an instant favorite since then.

But the use of this plant for personalized sweets and soaps did not start so late but in fact, since the ancient times, it was widely used. In ancient Egypt, pharaohs made great uses of this plant and would often incorporate it in their diets and rituals. Romans would also refresh themselves from their long and arduous marches by drinking the thirst-quenching licorice drink. The plant's benefits were also widely promoted by great personalities of the world including Alexander the Great and the prophet Brahma of India.

When it comes to its healing properties, this plant is considered a good alternative to sucrose as it is 50 times sweeter. It is also a natural expectorant meaning it helps remove mucus from the lungs by means of coughing them out. It is also a mild laxative and is therefore useful in a lot of digestive cases. Aside from personalized sweets and sodas, this root is also flavored for tea.

Ever since the making of Black Vines, many more sweets have followed. There have been the Licorice Snaps and Black Crows which are also old-time favorites now. Moreover, other so-called licorice products emerged when in fact they don't even contain a drop of the root extract. These products were lollipops, gums, and others which come in various shapes, colors and textures. - 30241

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