A product obtained from the licorice plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra) of the legume family (Leguminosae). It is a perennial herb which grows wild and is cultivated in southern Europe and in western and central Asia. The roots are dried for several months and then packaged for shipment. Spain leads in the production of cultivated licorice roots. Licorice is used in medicine to mask objectionable taste and as a laxative; as a flavouring material in the brewing, tobacco, and candy industries; and in the manufacture of shoe polish.