Licorice Uses in Cooking
Licorice is a perennial herb which has been consumed in cooking and traditional medicine for a long time. Licorice is considered a natural sweetener and flavoring. Moreover, it has many benefits for our health and body. It is an effective remedy for digestive disorders, peptic ulcers, skin diseases, sore throat, respiratory problems and many others.
Sepidan Osareh Jonoob Co. is one of the prominent producers and exporters of licorice products in the world. This company is globally known as one of the best ones in the licorice market. A number of factors lead to this company’s achievements including very high-quality products, employing experienced staff, using modern machinery and instruments in production lines and laboratory, observing global standards in quality and management and many more.
Licorice uses in cooking, food and drinks dates back to ancient times. Licorice has been used as an ingredient in cooking, while creating a pleasant herbal taste and aroma which is similar to fennel and anise to some extent.
For using licorice in cooking, you can buy its woody root or its powder. For sweet recipe and confectionery use, its processed form like its extract block or paste is also available.
Based on the surveys done by Sepidan Osareh Jonoob Co., licorice is also used as a flavoring for a variety of sauces, including soy sauce and pickles. Licorice root is used to flavor dry food such as sugar, coffee, salt and some other ones. This plant is found in the combination of spices, especially for meat dishes, and goes well with the taste of food. It is used to flavor duck, lamb, pork, etc. Sometimes licorice is mixed with a little salt and added to meat as a condiment.
You can marinate different kinds of meat, prawns, oysters and other ones with licorice, or use it as dressing for raw or cooked food and vegetables.
Licorice flavor adapts really well to other tastes like ginger, mint, fennel and others.
Licorice in ice cream can be used as a syrup to make its taste distinctive. It should be noted that licorice sweetness is almost 50 times more than sugar.
It is used in sweets, candies, chocolates, pastilles, chewing gum and many others.
For making licorice tea, we can use licorice powder or ground licorice root. Licorice is also available in tea bags. Licorice dried leaves can be used for tea.
Licorice is also used in alcoholic beverages especially strong ones. It gives them strong and special taste.
Consequently licorice uses in cooking are various and you can use in different ways.
Generally, licorice is considered as a safe food ingredient. However, be careful about excessive licorice consumption. It could be dangerous for high blood pressure, pregnancy and breastfeeding, people with heart or kidney diseases.
Reference: iranlicorice.com
- Published in Licorice