Liqourice as it’s known in UK English but in the US its Licorice but in France, it is known as Réglisse.

The word Licquorice both the English and US versions is derived via the Anglo-French Lycorys which comes from the Latin word Liquiritia which itself came from the Greek word for sweet root.

Licorice is the common name of Glycyrrhiza glavra, This botanical name also comes from the Greek word glabra.

It’s a flowering plant from the Fabaceae family or bean family. It’s the root of the plant that is harvested for its sweet and aromatic flavor. It’s a herbaceous perennial plant that grows to about 1 meter or 40 inches in height and its leaves are about 7-15cm in length or around 3-6 inches long. Licorice has long purple to pale blue flowers and the plant has a long pod that forms a fruit that contains seeds. But it is the root that is most sought after.