The liquorice, to be exact, a licorice is subspecies of a perennial plant of family bean, sorts a licorice. If it is about the plant or about the medical medicines made on its basis, then, by the general rule, the licorice or a root of a licorice apply the term. In the food industry and cookery, confectionery the industry and perfumery the raw materials received from this plant can be called a liquorice.
Licorice (or a licorice naked, a licorice smooth) - a grassy plant with long ( from 1st to 2 meters) a stalk, sticky oval to leaves and small brown fruits in the form of beans. Thanks to the reinforced creeping rhizome and the branching roots the bush as if grows into the earth. Such root system is capable to give about 30 roots-stolonov which reach length of 3-5 meters and lie in depth on 40 cm. On a surface the bush forms magnificent green thickets as can breed in the vegetative way and quickly expands.
The licorice beautifully blossoms in the white or violet colors collected in clusters. Berries are oblong shape leathery beans with 1-8 seeds. The smooth or covered with thorns seeds have a green-gray color and shine as if they were polished. Blossoming begins in June, and at the end of August the first fruits appear. In the nature there are about thirty types of this plant.
Growth and cultivation
Under natural conditions the licorice grows in steppes and semi-deserts, in the hilly terrain, near sea coast. The homeland of this thermophilic bush consider the Mediterranean (France, Italy). The area of growth includes areas with a subtropical and temperate climate. It is Central and western Asia, the North of Africa, some areas of America and Australia, the Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Moldova. In our country in a wild look the bush meets in the southern and southeast regions (coast of the Sea of Azov, the Volga region, the Caucasus), in the Urals and in Western Siberia.
Most often the licorice grows, forming thickets, on coast of reservoirs, on meadows and fields, along footpaths and near roads. He loves solonetzic and sandy lands, but can grow also on the chernozem or clay.
To grow up this bush at itself on the site, it is necessary to choose the windless territory which is well warmed up by the sun with high content of lime. It is necessary to sow at the beginning of May, to well heated-up earth, on depth of 1 cm. When watering not to allow overwetting of the soil, otherwise the rhizome will begin to decay. In September the first shoots will appear. The licorice will blossom and fructify two years later - it is at a way of disembarkation by rhizomes. If to put seeds, then it is possible to reap a crop only in five years. During this time roots of a plant will creep away in a radius up to 5 meters and I will demand for further cultivation a lot of free space.
Types of a plant raw material
Practically all parts of a licorice act as a medicinal and food raw material, cosmetic and technological components. But the most valuable is the sweet root. A preparation season – early spring or fall. The dug-out roots and rhizomes of a 4-year plant should be washed out in flowing water, to clean from bark and to cut pieces 30-35 cm long. Then some of ways should dry up: in the open sun; in well aired room; in the dryer at a temperature of 50-60 degrees. The raw materials prepared with respect for technology have a long period of storage - up to ten years.
It is easy to determine high quality of preparation by color and structure of a rhizome. It has to have brown-brown color outside and a yellowish shade in a section. Structure of sticks - fibrous. They easily break, but don't crumble.
Keep roots in boxes or dry capacity. For further use of a stick crush or pound into powder. The dry crushed root – the main component in pharmaceutics. And the liquorice powder is applied in the food industry, confectionery production and cookery.
Active components and nutrition value
In the world of officinal herbs this representative of flora takes the tenth place in popularity and frequency of application thanks to the substance which is contained in it glycyrrhizin which surpasses cane sugar in sweet by 50 times. From there are a pronounced luscious taste and also the international name of a plant Glycyrrhiza glabra (from the Greek words: glykys is "sweet", rhiza - "root"). Useful properties of a plant are caused by contents in kornevshcha, roots and escapes of active components:
- Glycyrrhizic acid (23%) adjusts an endocrine system, strengthens immunity, lowers cholesterol indicators. Makes the enveloping and febrifugal impact.
- Polysaccharides: sucrose and fructose, a maltose and glucose (6%) are construction material as enter nutritive matters for an organism and remove exchange products.
- Bitter principles (4%) strengthen sekretorny activity. Have bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect.
- Lipids (3%) are responsible for creation in our body of a power stock. Possess antimicrobic action, protect bodies from overcooling.
- The nutrition value to a liquorice is provided by pectin and starch (34%), carbohydrates and cellulose (30%).
Content of feedstuffs in portion (100 g): proteins – 0.0 g; fats – 0.05 g; carbohydrates – 93.55 g; cellulose – 0.2 g. Caloric content of-375 kcal that makes 22.3% of standard daily rate.
Thanks to such structure a liquorice - the recognized natural power engineering specialist and sweetener.
Tastes differ
It is rather simple to learn a licorice and it is difficult to mix with something. The grated root has saturated, a luscious sweet taste. At syrups and extracts – a dense gummy body and characteristic dark brown color. And classical licorice candies – absolutely black (due to addition of charcoal in them).
The liquorice has original thin aroma which is close to aroma of an anise and fennel. Taking medicines on the basis of a licorice, or trying dishes with addition of this spice, the sweet flavor and a subtle anisic shade is always felt. And it is impossible to kill licorice taste practically nothing. It is mix of salty, and sweet bitter with a taste of bitterness (as at liqueur of Campari).
So original taste and unusual color are the reason that at this product is both adherents, and opponents.
We cook simple licorice dishes of the house
Culinary specialists apply powder of a licorice root as spicy spice and original seasoning to various dishes (meat, fish, a bird, salads, soups, flour products, etc.). The licorice in sauces and marinades is irreplaceable, during the salting, fermentation and a mocheniye. It has property to prevent fermentation processes, rotting and formation of a mold and therefore it is used for freshness retention in food. Having added powder when beating egg whites, it is possible to receive magnificent abrupt foam without effort. The components of a sweet root entered into confectionery allow to enhance their taste and serve as natural substitute of sugar. Fruit jelly, lollipops, toffees, pastils – not the full list of licorice sweeties. The liquorice is popular at preparation of such drinks as cocoa, coffee, compotes and kissels.
A lot of things from this can be prepared without special work in house conditions. Here several simplest step-by-step recipes of useful and nutritious licorice desserts and drinks.
The toning tea from a licorice is had for strengthening of immunity. Also this fine prophylactic against chronic fatigue.
The main advantage of licorice tea - shouldn't be added to it sugar. He on himself has sweetish smack and gives to infusion special aroma. For a change tastes and drawing up blends can be added to tea mint, a melissa, ginger, a linden, a lemon, cinnamon, vanilla and other fragrant spices and officinal herbs. For a zavarivaniye use both loose dry raw materials, and the filter packages.
The liquorice is popular at preparation of various drinks - cocoa, coffee, compotes and kissels. It is a component of the aerated sweet waters, kvass and beer and also fragrance of alcoholic products (liqueurs, wines, vodka, cognacs).
At the expense of the sweet taste, spice is well combined with fruit and berries, it is added to halvah and chocolate, to ice cream and desserts.
Syrup of a licorice is familiar to much as popular medicine. Long since prepared this medicine, applying a method of boiling of roots, evaporating broth before formation of viscous liquid of dark-brown color.
High-calorific product with high content of carbohydrates and sugars - licorice candies. They are capable to satisfy hunger and thirst therefore are irreplaceable in a long journey. The use of this bitterish and salty sweet helps to get rid of nausea and vomiting, to overcome heartburn. Solodkovy toffees and lollipops - a catarrhal dry and loose cough medicine. It is ideal option at fight against cough for smokers. And it is tasty, and it is useful - it is necessary to adapt to a peculiar taste and unusual color of this sweet only.
However, it isn't necessary to be fond of a licorice product. Its uncontrolled consumption conceals in itself a certain danger. Prolonged use of syrup of a licorice lowers potassium level in an organism that can result in weakness of muscles and a renal failure and also increases arterial blood pressure. If to eat a liquorice in too large numbers, unpleasant feelings can appear. The main symptoms of overdose are hypostases, nausea, dizziness, feeling of pain in joints, allergic reaction. Even in the absence of contraindications, using medicines on the basis of a licorice root, it is necessary to adhere accurately to the instruction and to remember that norm of intake of liquid extract - 30 mg a day. It is necessary to eat licorice sweeties with some care – it is desirable that their daily consumption didn't exceed 100 grams.
Non-standard black-brown color and combination sweet and salty in taste - the business card of this unusual product.
Where the zhely root is used
The licorice is characterized by the versatility - it is not only an officinal and food plant.
The licorice root serves as industrial technological raw materials for production of ink, watercolor paints, shoe polish, is used as a fixer of paints on fabric.
Thanks to the modern technologies which applied ability of powder of a licorice to foam texturization it became a component of nonalcoholic beer and also is applied in production of mixes to filling of fire extinguishers as the foam-forming agent.
In gardening the bush is planted for the purpose of strengthening of sandy soils and prevention of slipping of slopes. This representative of flora is a melliferous herb and a plant from which get a perga.
Worldwide the grass is used in tobacco mixes as fine fragrance of tobacco. The liquorice is a part of chewing and hookah tabak, is applied to production of nicotine free cigarettes.
The liquorice found broad application in the perfumery and cosmetic sphere. Light broths, excerpts and plant extracts are effective in dermatological practice. In natural cosmetics the licorice began to be used thanks to its component – the stearilretinat possessing the instant action on inflammations and reddenings of skin reminding action of a cortisone, but without its side effects. Face creams have the bleaching, rejuvenating properties, protect from influence of ultraviolet and also stimulate development with collagen skin. Gels for bathing refresh an integument, giving it freshness and an opaque shade. The curative root is added to the shampoos restoring masks and hair balms and care products for nails and skin of hands.
Due to existence of useful antimicrobic properties the liquorice helps to fight against an unpleasant odor from a body and licorice toothpaste – treatment-and-prophylactic caries medicine acts as a deodorant. And recently scientists extracted from a rhizome one more substance – изоангустон. According to laboratory researches, this component slows down growth of cancer cells, blocks release of the proteins contributing to their development.
But whatever multipurpose this representative of flora was, most brightly and extraordinary the liquorice proves in preparation of original dishes and desserts.
Shortly it is possible to answer the question "What Is a Liquorice?" so: this plant - a surprise. Because here not combined is combined: spicy spice and sweetener, cosmetic and technological raw materials, officinal grass and bitterish and salty sweet.