Cookbook:Licorice
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| Category | Herbs and spices |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients | Spices and herbs
Liquorice or licorice is a spice derived from the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra or Glycyrrhiza uralensis.[1][2][3] Other names for the plant include sweetwood, jethimadh, oburunbebe, and banga stick.[1][4][5][6]
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]The part of the plant used as a spice is the root or rhizome,[1] which is dried to yield woody sticks with a yellow interior.[1][5][7][3] The characteristic licorice flavor comes from the compound glycyrrhizin,[1][8] which is 50 times as sweet as table sugar in its pure form.[1][2][3] This compound gives the root an intense, bittersweet flavor, which combines with estragole, cineole, and eugenol to give an aroma reminiscent of anise and fennel.[1][8][6][9][7]
The root may be processed into different forms for use. For example, it may be sliced or shaved thinly or ground to a powder.[1][5][6][7] Boiling the root in water and concentrating the result produces a syrupy licorice extract,[3][10] which in turn can be sold as blocks or powders.[2][3][6]
Selection and storage
[edit | edit source]Dried licorice root should be stored in an airtight container away from light, heat, and moisture.[1][7] Kept this way, the roots will last for a couple years.[7]
Use
[edit | edit source]Depending on the cuisine, licorice is used as a flavoring for sweet or savory foods. Licorice candy is one major and well-known application,[2][8][9][11][10] with a wide range of confections on offer—sometimes they are simply called "licorice" as well.[9] Licorice can also be used to flavor beverages, stews and soups, spice blends, and baked goods.[1][6][8][9]
When working with the root, it should generally be added early on in the cooking process so the aromatic compounds have time to permeate the dish.[1] For preparations with short cooking times, steeping in hot water will help.[1][6]
Substitution
[edit | edit source]Some candies traditionally made with licorice may be imitated by using anise flavoring;[2][12] however, the flavor is not quite the same.
Recipes
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Farrimond, Stuart (2018-11-06). The Science of Spice: Understand Flavor Connections and Revolutionize Your Cooking. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1-4654-7557-2.
- ↑ a b c d e McGee, Harold (2007-03-20). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-5637-4.
- ↑ a b c d e Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2014-09-26). Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-09183-9.
- ↑ "Liquorice 'Banga stick'". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ a b c Butterfly, Kitchen (2018-09-29). "Finally Named: 'Banga Stick' is Liquorice!". Kitchen Butterfly. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ↑ a b c d e f "How to Cook With Liquorice - Great British Chefs". www.greatbritishchefs.com. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ a b c d e Everyone (2021-03-16). "Chinese Licorice Root (甘草)". The Woks of Life. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ↑ a b c d Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
- ↑ a b c d Friberg, Bo (2016-09-13). The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-46629-2.
- ↑ a b Goldstein, Darra (2015-01-01). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199313396.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-931339-6.
- ↑ Kipfer, Barbara Ann (2012-04-11). The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-18603-3.
- ↑ Furseth, Jessica (2021-08-24). "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Licorice". Eater. Retrieved 2025-02-01.