Licorice comes from the root of a legume
March 18th, 2026 at 9:44 pm (Food, Volunteering)
The other day, I found some “watermelon licorice” in the store and was intrigued enough to purchase it. It was a paler red than Red Vines and didn’t taste noticeably like watermelon, but it was a fun treat.
That made me wonder – what exactly IS licorice? (How can you make a watermelon version of it?)
Merriam-Webster defines licorice as:
a : the dried root of a European leguminous plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra) with pinnate leaves and spikes of blue flowers
also : an extract of this used especially in medicine, liquors, and confectionery
b : a candy flavored with licorice or a substitute (such as anise)
Licorice (the candy) is traditionally flavored/sweetened using an extract from the root of the licorice plant (glycyrrhiza glabra), which is extremely sweet and has some medicinal applications (but is toxic in high doses).
I think this means that the folks who say red licorice isn’t really “licorice” might be right – red licorice usually doesn’t include glycyrrhizin (the licorice plant extract), like its black cousin does. This watermelon licorice doesn’t, either – and its first ingredient is corn syrup. It also contains no watermelon. :)