Licorice, or gan cao in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is a perennial plant in the bean family found in certain parts of
Europe and Asia. The plant grows on a spreading root system that consists of
fibrous, wood-like parts that branch out horizontally under the ground. The
root, sometimes referred to as sweet root, yields a sweetness many times more
potent than that of ordinary sugar.
This characteristic is why licorice root is
used in making various confections, including the popular rope-like sweet treat.
Licorice root is also used to make lozenges, syrups and teas.
