Licorice

What is Licorice?

Licorice is a product manufactured from the roots of the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra. It is used in a large variety of ways such as licorice candy, food, flavors in drinks, chewing tobacco and in medicine. The plant is primarily grown in Russia, Iran, Spain and India. It takes 3-4 years before the roots are ready to be harvested. After the roots are harvested they are dried, pressed, crushed and boiled in water. The juice is boiled down to a raw licorice, which can be processed for the use in a wide range of products. Within candy licorice is differentiated by soft and hard licorice candy. The difference is partly the ingredients and the production method. The hard licorice candy typically contains 50% gummi arabicum, 35% sugar, 10% glucose, 5% raw licorice and flavors. Soft licorice candy is typically made with 30% wheat flour, 45% syrup, 20% sugar, 5% raw licorice and flavors. The Danish licorice candy Ga-Jol Original 2-pack is an example of a hard candy and the Danish licorice candy Toms Pingvin is an example of a soft candy version. Shop Danish licorice products online at NORDIC EXPAT SHOP.

The History of Licorice

No, licorice candy was not invented in Denmark, UK or even in the Netherlands despite these countries are some of the biggest consumers of licorice in the world. Licorice can be traced back to 2300 b.c. When the Chinese emperor, Shen Nung, had the Heavenly arable herb-farming handbook, Pen Tschao, written. In the herb-farming handbook licorice was described as a magical plant that could recreate the youthful force in men. Even in ancient Egypt there are traces of licorice and it was often placed as riches in pharos tombs. There were even found trace of licorice in the tomb of Tutankhamon.

Used as Medicine

Through out history licorice has had many uses cases and been a popular medicinal. The ancient Greeks often used licorice for the cure of coughing and asthma. The Roman legionnaires chewed the root, during their long marches to prevent hunger and thirst. Even today licorice is used in many different medicines because it has many useful properties. It is primarily expectorant and is therefore used in cough syrup and cough drops. Licorice is used in herbal medicine for various gastrointestinal disorders and is effective against stomach ulcers due to its protective and anti-inflammatory properties. The Danish licorice Ga-jol was created to treat a soar throat, coughing and hoarseness.

In the 1800’s the first signs of licorice moving from a medicine to a candy appear. In 1731 the Italian Ameralli family developed a method that made it easy to extract the juices from the licorice root. This method helped contributed to the accessibility of raw licorice. In the late 1790’s the British chemist George Dunhill is the first to start mixing licorice with sugar and is for the first time sold as candy. It is from this start that the licorice candy we know today evolved. Among the oldest still existing Danish licorice products is Ga-Jol from 1933, which was launched as a throat lozenge against soar throat and coughing. In the beginning hard licorice like Ga-Jol was typically meant for a sore throat, whereas soft licorice candies were more popular candy for kids. The popularity of Danish licorice candy has risen dramatically due to the success of Danish licorice manufacture Johan Bülow. “Lakrids by Bülow” have taken the world with storm and has now brands stores all over the world. The Danish licorice brand has become world renown for their licorice combinations, such as chocolate-coated licorice. “Lakrids by Bülow” has become the most popular Danish licorice.

Shop Danish Licorice at NORDIC EXPAT SHOP

At NORDIC EXPAT SHOP you can shop all your favorite and well-known Danish licorice candy brands online such as Toms, Ga-Jol, Carletti, Nørregade, Evers, Haribo and Nellie Dellies and more. You can even find a selection of Swedish licorice candy brands such as Malaco, Cloetta and Marabou and Finnish licorice candy brands as Fazer. Have a look through our assortment and find your favorite Danish licorice candy. To shop Danish licorice candy online is very easy at NORDIC EXPAT SHOP. Simply choose your favorite Danish licorice candy brands online add them to your cart, fill out the shipping and payment information and we will take care of the rest. We offer worldwide delivery directly to your doorstep. Should you have questions about Danish licorice brands or Danish licorice? Feel free to reach out to our customer service. They can tell more about our Danish licorice products, service and help answering any your questions. Shop Danish licorice products online at NORDIC EXPAT SHOP.