Choosing a form and grade of licorice root
Licorice root is sold in many cuts, and the choice comes down to two questions: which form your process takes, and, for slices and tablets, which grade, meaning the diameter of the root the pieces are cut from. This chapter goes through both, with the sizes from our specifications. All our root is wild Glycyrrhiza glabra from Khorezm, Uzbekistan, and every form is specified at no less than 4 % glycyrrhizic acid, except the extraction grade at 3.5 %.
Start from your process
- Extraction. Tablets, the cheaper cut for extraction; crushed root; the industrial grade; and the extraction grade, a low-cost feedstock. For purification into glycyrrhizic acid, there is also licorice extract, made by our partner. See licorice root for extraction.
- Tea and infusions. Root fibre and granules, the small cuts; some tea makers choose root fibre partly because it costs less. Slices, where a piece should stay whole when boiled.
- Food and confectionery. Slices, which hold together in cooking; granules, root fibre and powder to blend in. See food and confectionery.
- Pharmaceutical. Whole root as sticks or fingers, peeled or unpeeled, and tablets, granules, crushed root and powder. See pharmaceutical use.
- Cosmetics. Powder, and tablets, granules and crushed root for extraction. See cosmetics.
These are the usual choices, not rules: any form can be ordered for any use. The applications page has the same overview as a table.
The forms at a glance
| Form | How it is cut | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Slices | At a shallow angle, by machine | 5–7 mm thick |
| Tablets | Straight across the root, by machine | 3–4 mm thick |
| Granules | Cut small by machine, then sieved | 3–4 mm |
| Crushed root | Crushed by machine | 2–3 mm |
| Root fibre | Short strands from crushing tablet-cut root | 2–4 mm |
| Powder | Milled | 1 mm or less |
| Fingers | By hand | 5–8 cm long |
| Sticks | By hand | 45–55 cm long |
| Industrial grade | Machine-cut pieces | Under 5 cm long, from root 5–20 mm across |
| Extraction grade | Cut roughly by machine | 2–5 cm long, from root under 7 mm across |
Each product page gives the full specification, including moisture (not more than 12 %) and the processing steps; Reading a specification explains each line.
Slice grades by root diameter
A slice's grade is the diameter of the root it is cut from, so it sets the size of each piece. Grades A to C1 are sorted by hand, so their ranges are approximate. L and S are cut from the large and the small sticks that the raw root is first sorted into, and are only sieved after cutting. D is the irregular pieces left over from sorting A to C1: the same root, cut less evenly. Mix is the full range, unsorted. Tablets come in grade A too, and in sizes such as 1.2.
| Grade | Root diameter | Product |
|---|---|---|
| A | about 30 mm and over | Slice A, Tablet A |
| B | about 20–30 mm | Slice B |
| C | about 10–20 mm | Slice C |
| C1 | under 10 mm | Slice C1 |
| L | over 15 mm | Slice L |
| S | under 15 mm | Slice S |
| D | offcuts of A–C1 | Slice D |
| 1.2 | 12 mm | Tablet 1.2 |
| Mix | mixed diameters | Slice Mix, Tablet Mix |
The ranges are approximate: slices are sorted by hand, tablets on sieves with round holes.
Every slice is cut 5–7 mm thick and dried in the shade in the open air, because the sun slowly fades its colour. Glycyrrhizic acid tends to follow root diameter and harvest season: if your specification sets a minimum above 4 %, say so in your enquiry, and lots richer in it can be selected.
Tablets, granules, crushed root and powder
Tablets are cut straight across the root, at 90°, into round discs 3–4 mm thick. That is the cheaper cut, and the usual one for extraction; but in boiling water a tablet can fall apart into fibres, where a slice holds together. Grade A and size 1.2 (12 mm) are sorted on sieves with round holes; Tablet Mix is not sorted.
Granules, crushed root, root fibre and powder are made from washed, dried root pieces, mostly the offcuts and tablets, and sieved to remove the dust. They are not made from the thin extraction-grade root unless your specification allows it. Choose by particle size: granules 3–4 mm, root fibre 2–4 mm, crushed root 2–3 mm, powder 1 mm or less.
Peeled or unpeeled
Peeled root has its outer bark removed, by hand or by machine; unpeeled root keeps it. The European and the Russian pharmacopoeias accept both. Peeled root is not washed, because the soil comes off with the bark, and peeling lowers the acid-insoluble ash, which measures soil and sand. We supply peeled fingers, peeled sticks and peeled granules; unpeeled sticks and fingers are washed on request. More on the pharmaceutical page.
Industrial and extraction grades
Both are root for processing, above all for extraction.
- Industrial grade: medium roots 5–20 mm across, washed by machine, steamed and cut into pieces under 5 cm; at least 4 % glycyrrhizic acid.
- Extraction grade: thin roots under 7 mm across, not washed, dried in the open air and cut roughly into 2–5 cm pieces; at least 3.5 %.
At 3.5 %, the extraction grade is below the European Pharmacopoeia's minimum of 4.0 %, so it is a raw material for extract makers, not a pharmacopoeial herbal substance.
When to order a custom cut
Order a custom cut when none of the forms above fits: another thickness or length, a narrower diameter range, peeled root in a form we do not list, a higher minimum of glycyrrhizic acid, or your own packing, including bags printed with your logo. Send your specification with the quantity, and we tell you what we can supply. To compare grades before you decide, ask for free samples: 100–200 g of each grade, for companies.