Licorice root: whole and cut forms

Licorice root is the dried root and underground stem of the Glycyrrhiza glabra plant. Confectionery, beverage, herbal tea and tobacco manufacturers buy it in two basic forms: whole root or cut root. This guide explains both forms, where they are used and what European importers look at.

Updated: 6 October 2026

Whole dried licorice root sticks in a wooden crate — Photo: Tamorlan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0; cropped, colour adjusted.

What licorice root is

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) is a plant that grows wild along riverbanks in Southeastern Anatolia. The traded part is the root and the horizontal underground stems (stolons).

The European Pharmacopoeia defines licorice root, “Liquiritiae radix”, as the “dried unpeeled or peeled, whole or cut root and stolons” of Glycyrrhiza glabra. Commercial forms follow the same lines: whole or cut, peeled or unpeeled.

For customs, licorice root falls under HS 1211.90 (plants and parts of plants used primarily in perfumery, pharmacy or similar purposes).

Licorice in Şanlıurfa

In Şanlıurfa, licorice root is gathered from the wild by local people. The Turkish Patent Office’s geographical indication for “Urfa Meyan Şerbeti (Biyanbalı)”, a traditional licorice drink, lists the gathering areas as Birecik and the banks of the Euphrates, and villages in Bozova, Harran and Suruç.

According to the same document, the roots are washed, cut to about 20 centimetres and dried in the sun or in a warm place.

Where licorice is cultivated, the roots are usually lifted in the autumn of the third or fourth year.

Whole root and cut root

The difference between the two forms is the state in which the root reaches your plant. Whole root arrives at its own length, as sticks, and you cut, mill or extract it yourself. Cut root is already divided into small pieces and can go straight into a blend or into packing.

Pano Organic supplies licorice root whole and cut. State the cut size and your other requirements in your request.

Form	What it is
Whole root	Dried root and stolon, as sticks. Cut, milled or extracted by the buyer.
Cut root	Dried root cut into small pieces. Goes straight into blending or packing.
Peeled or unpeeled	Root with or without its outer bark (applies to both forms).

Where it is used

According to market information from CBI, the Dutch Centre for the Promotion of Imports, the tobacco industry is the largest user of licorice, with confectionery second. In food it is used as a flavouring and sweetening raw material in confectionery, dairy, beverages, bakery and savoury products.

The root is also processed into extract, which is dried to a dark paste and cast into blocks or short sticks, or dried to a powder. Those forms are outside the scope of this guide.

In Southeastern Türkiye licorice root is made into a cold drink, şerbet. Two such drinks are registered geographical indications: Urfa Meyan Şerbeti (Biyanbalı, registration no. 202) and Antep Meyan Şerbeti (no. 441).

What EU importers check

The points below are general regulatory information; the detail depends on the importer’s own specification and current law.

Ochratoxin A: the EU maximum level for licorice root, including in herbal infusions, is 20 µg/kg (Regulation (EU) 2023/915).
Laboratory testing: according to CBI, European importers test every lot and return any lot that does not meet the standard.
Finished-product labelling: confectionery and beverages containing glycyrrhizinic acid above set levels must state “contains liquorice” (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex III). This applies to whoever makes the finished product.
Customs: HS 1211.90.

What to include in your request

To get an accurate quote quickly, tell us:

Form: whole root or cut root
For cut root, the piece size you need
Peeled or unpeeled
Volume, packaging preference and destination
Your analysis specification, if you have one

Sources

The general information in this guide is drawn from the sources below.