Supply Of Licorice Root example essay topic

LICORICE There are several varieties of the herb, Licorice. Its name is derived from the two Greek words meaning 'sweet' and 'root'. It is one of the oldest and best-known remedies for coughs and chest complaints. The knowledge and use of it dates back to the time of the early days of Egyptian civilisation. The Hindus, Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, and Chinese all knew about the values of Licorice. It is an enduring herb, which grows in most moderate countries.

It varies from about two to five feet high, with long, smooth green leaves and yellowish white or purplish flowers. The root is light brown with a very sweet taste; fifty times the sweetness of cane sugar. It is an ointment, a cough mixture, and a laxative. Its roots penetrate deeply into the ground and contain an abundance of valuable properties. It is indigenous of Greece, Asia Minor, Spain, Southern Italy, Syria, Iraq, Caucasian and Trans caspian Russia, Northern China, Persia and North Africa. Tons of Licorice are used by all countries today for foods, medicines, beverages, and many confections, etc.

The United States imports about fifty million pounds of Licorice root and about half that amount of liquid extract yearly. The root comes mainly from Iraq, Turkey, Russia, Syria, Italy, and British East Africa. The liquid extract is imported mostly from Spain. Some of the Licorice extract entering the United States is used by the drug industries and made into various medications because of its demulcent and expectorant properties. The root, which is made into a powder, is often used in the preparation of pills. The extract has almost the powder as a remedial agent.

Much of the Licorice supply is used by the tobacco industry as a conditioning and flavour ing agent. It is also used by the confectionery industry as a base for a wide variety of candies. The residual material after extraction is used as a stabilizer in the production of foam fire extinguishers and as a fertilizer for mushrooms. The Chinese herbalists regard Licorice as a healing agent either by itself or as an ingredient in various herbal formulas. It is also used to flavour beer or ale, ice creams, and as Licorice water, which is a blood purifier. Licorice water was a popular drink in Egypt during the ancient days.

The youthful Pharaoh Tutankhamen was buried with a supply of Licorice root to help him on his last long journey. It was a very therapeutic sweet drink for all the natives of those times. It was mostly imported from the fertile plains of Mesopotamia. It was also listed among the hundreds of drugs known during the Hammurabi reign of Babylonia. Alexander the Great distributed the Licorice root among his own troops for medical purposes just as the modern soldier carries his own first aid supply in battle. The Roman Legionnaires also considered Licorice an essential ration for their gruel ling campaigns on the Roman frontiers.

The Buddhists later adopted it as a sacred symbol for their ceremonies and rituals. Almost anywhere one looks in man's history, Licorice has been a part of the development of the culture and civilisation of various nations. DONE BY: Zin zi Levy.