Instructions: In India liquorice is used more as a medicine than a food but it is found in all indian kitchens. Followers of the ancient indian system of medicine called Ayurveda were convinced that nature had a cure for all medical problems. One of the greatest finds of these early pharmacists was liquorice a sweet root that is in use even today because of its miraculous curative properties. Ancient Chinese herbalists also knew of the drug and its rejuvenating properties. They distilled the essence of the herb and its root prescribing it for a wide range of conditions a practice that is followed even in modern medicine.

how it grows
A tall erect herb up to 1.5m high the plant bears small spikes of lilaccoloured flowen. The flat fruits of the herb grow up to 3cm long. Liquorice is cultivated in southern Europe Syria Iraq Turkq Greece Russia and all over India.

appearance and taste
The dried roots and underground stems of the plant are the useful parts. These look like dried pieces of wood very hard and fibrous. They are ridged and dark on the outside. The smell of liquorice is medicinal and highly aromatic. It tastes sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste similar to the flavour of saccharine. When liquorice is chewed on its own it seems to get sweeter and sweeter.

buying and storing
Liquorice is available as deed woody pieces of root as powder or as solid sticks of concentrated essence. These are black in colour glossy sweet slightly bitter and partly soluble in water when pure. If stored in a dry container liquorice will keep for several years.

medicinal uses
Liquonce is chewed to relieve a sore throat. Gargling with an infusion of the root relieves a dry cough and oral inflammations. As it soothes irritation caused by acids it is prescribed for ulcers. Liquorice powder is mixed with butter and honey and applied to cuts and wounds. A paste of liquorice and mustard oil heals corns. Patchy baldness and dandruff is treated with a local application of a paste of liquorice milk and saffron. Liquorice is used to flavour medicinal syrups and pills. However it is contraindicated in pregnancy heart conditions and kidney problems.

culinary uses
Liquorice is not used in everyday indian cookery but is stored in the pantry for use as a household medicine.

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