Licorice root has been used in various countries in their medicinal preparations due to its therapeutic properties. The extract of the licorice root can be consumed in the form of licorice tea. This root with a mild fragrance has various health benefits such as:
- Cure for common cold
- Cure for cough
- Cure for respiratory infections and upper lung problems
- Cure for dandruff
- Remedy for depression
and much more.
Licorice – Names in other languages
- Scientific name – Glycyrrhiza glabra
- English – Licorice
- Hindi – Mulethi
- Sanskrit – Madhurika
- Malayalam – Iratti Madhuram
- Bengali – Yashtimadhu
- Tamil – Adhimadhuram
- Kannada – Atimadhura
- Telugu – Adhimadhuram
Here is a simple recipe to make licorice tea at home and make it a part of your diet.
Ingredients
- 1 piece Licorice root Known as Athimathuram in Tamil
- 2 teaspoons Honey
- 300 ml Water
Instructions
- You will need dried licorice root, water and honey to make this tea. You can also use palm sugar instead of honey.
- Take a small (a one inch) piece of licorice root in a mortar.
- Since the root is very hard, we have to crush it first to get a fragrant tea. Crush the root well with a pestle.
- Place the crushed root in a tea infuser.
- Pour boiling hot water over the root.
- Add honey. Licorice is naturally sweet and hence just a little bit of honey should be sufficient.
- Close the teapot with a lid and allow it to steep for about 7 -10 minutes.
- Remove the infuser after the said time and your tea is ready.
Notes
If you do not have a teapot, you can also make this tea by boiling it in hot water.
You can include 150 ml of this licorice tea in your daily diet. It can also be a refreshing early morning drink.
