Botanical name: Glycyrrhiza glabra/uralensis , Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. , Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

Licorice is the root of a perennial herb native to Europe and Asia. Along with its popularity as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages, it has also been used to make coughs more productive and as a vitalizing herbal tonic.

he scent of liquorice root comes from a complex and variable combination of compounds, of which anethole is the most minor component (0-3% of total volatiles).[clarification needed] Much of the sweetness in liquorice comes from glycyrrhizin, which has a sweet taste, 30–50 times the sweetness of sugar. The sweetness is very different from sugar, being less instant, tart, and lasting longer.

The isoflavene glabrene and the isoflavane glabridin, found in the roots of liquorice, are phytoaestrogens.