Licorice and Glycyrrhizic Acid

Licorice - the Plant

The licorice plant, known scientifically as Glycyrrhiza, grows wild in the southern central Europe and Asia. The underground stems (also called rhizomes) and root of the licorice plant have been used since ancient times to flavor and sweeten candies, teas, throat and cough lozenges, pharmaceuticals, and other products. Much of the sweetness comes from a substance called glycyrrhizic acid (also known as glycyrrhizin) found in the licorice plant.

Licorice - the Candy

Traditionally, "licorice candy" referred to a chewy candy with a distinctive flavor which came from licorice root extract. Today, consumers recognize licorice more as a general description of candy that may be available in a variety of flavors.

Not all of today's licorice-type candies are flavored with licorice root extract. Some licorice-flavored candies may be flavored with anise oil instead of licorice extract. Other fruit-flavored candies may be commonly referred to as licorice candy, but do not contain any licorice extract. For example, while people may consider all TWIZZLERS Candy to be licorice candy, the strawberry, chocolate, and cherry-flavored TWIZZLERS Candy do not contain licorice extract. TWIZZLERS black licorice candy is flavored with both licorice extract and anise oil.

Those licorice candies which contain licorice root extract will typically declare either "licorice extract" or "licorice root extract" as an ingredient on the package.

Licorice - Glycyrrhizic Acid

Glycyrrhizic acid is a substance which occurs naturally in the licorice root and is about fifty times as sweet as sugar. In excessive amounts, glycyrrhizic acid can cause undesirable side-effects including headache, sodium and water retention, loss of potassium, high blood pressure, and heart irregularities.