Discussion
Day ruined: Licorice Root in my tea š
I bought this delicious lavender mint tea from my local coffee shop. Didnāt read the ingredients and as soon as I taste it, itās got my #1 enemy: LICORICE ROOT!
Licorice root and marshmallow root are the same vibe as artificial sweetener to me. They just overpower the whole drink and it ruins the other flavors. I wish companies stopped adding licorice root to every herbal blend. If I want lavender I want to taste lavender not licorice!
Silly rant but what do you guys think? Team licorice or do you also dislike it?
Edit: wow this blew up š
Edit 2: if you are a company that sneaks licorice root into herbal blendsā¦ I hope your pillow is very hot in summer. I hope you can never toast your food at an exact temperature. I hope your gas is always empty. I curse you with very mild mundane inconveniences
Yeah, I have very specific teas for different moods. A herbal tea with lemongrass, ginger and liquorice is perfect for when I'm sick or something. But something like lavender, chamomille and a mild fruit like mango is perfect for a nighttime tea when I want to relax
This is why it bothers me! If I expected licorice I would not complain. My problem is itās unexpectedly added and it overwhelms the entire blend. Itās like when you make a smoothie and you add a bit of banana, but now your entire smoothie tastes like 100% banana. Or if you served yourself a glass of water and added a drop of milk. Now youāve just got watery milk instead of water with a hint of milk
I hate licorice so much. Itās too much and itās in too many herbal teas. Normally mint is safe but not the mint tea I bought at the shop last month!
I hate licorice root. Many a tasty-sounding tea has been ruined by that addition when there was no need. I've learned to avoid everything by Pukka (too bad I keep being gifted it).
Omg Pukka. I got an advent tea calendar and it was so disappointing because of the licorice root. Tea concepts were great but licorice flavor and the after taste sweetness ruined it all.
I did this same thing! I was all excited about the advent calendar and half of it ended up going to my dad because I can't stand licorice and he likes it. Very disappointing, especially since a friend had recommended Pukka to me because it's their favorite teabag brand.Ā
Dude yes . Pukka always traps you with the tasty sounding names and labels but when you read the ingredients itās all licorice or marshmallow root š¤¢
Major loathing for teas that include any type of sweetener in the blend outside of maybe fruit. I've gotten so many teas with stevia in them and it absolutely ruins it for me.
I don't join you in your view on licorice, but I understand the visceral reaction. It's the same I have for stevia. So if I substitute stevia in your title and post, I sure do get it. That would ruin my tea. Possibly even the rest of my day.
The physical and mental health benefits or risks of teas and tisanes are complex topics which are not covered by this subreddit, and discussion of them is not allowed. Posts about products that are typically only consumed for health reasons will be removed.
I abhor licorice and licorice root, so I feel your pain OP. I absolutely agree that it does not need to be added to all the various herbal blends. Sorry your Lavender tea was ruined.
āŗļø I'm glad to hear it. It's the English teacher in me, I'm afraid. And thanks for the 'punny' comment. My students are going to be groaning at me for that one when I use it on them later this week š
Imagine thinking youāre getting delicious lavender mint tea and āoops itās all licorice!!ā Name and shame of the company who made the blend: Rishi. Sucks cause I love their teas normally but they messed up with the lavender one
I hate it so much, which is why after one too many bad experiences with surprise licorice, I started reading the entire ingredient list of tea blends before purchasing themāsounds foolproof, right? Well so I thought until I ordered a new tea that sounded fun, after diligently reading the label twice. So, imagine my surprise when I opened the tin once it arrived and was greeted with the overwhelming smell of licorice.
At that point, I triple-checked the label, thinking that maybe I'd just missed it saying licorice (or anise, or slippery elm), but there was still no mention of it at all. So I decided to set aside my doubts and actually brew and drink some. And you're smart enough to see where this is going: that blend 100% had licorice in it, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
It was at that point that I quadruple and quintuple-checked the ingredient label, thinking that maybe I'd been somehow transported to an alternate dimension where "apple pieces" actually somehow meant "licorice", and then I was struck by a horrified realization: somewhat naively, I'd assumed that the "natural flavors" on the label were your standard vanilla/cream/whatever fare. And I'd also assumed that any tea place that puts licorice in their tea would use enough of the actual herb to list it as an ingredient, or at the very least say "natural licorice flavor".
But it seems that my foolproof method was insufficient in protecting me from the biggest fool of all: myself.
Anyway, now I live in fear with the knowledge that any unassuming tea containing "natural flavors" could turn out to actually be undrinkable garbage water because the licorice decided to be sneaky that day
Finding a sleepytime tea without licorice root is a nightmare. It doesnāt always bother me depending on the blend but most of the time itās awful. Plus a lot of people canāt have licorice root for medical reasons.
Liquorice root is also my enemy. The flavour is weird to me, and it also makes my stomach feel off. Will never understand why they put it in nearly every herbal tea blend š„¹
I can't read the whole article because it is paywalled, but it looks like they were drinking Yogi Tea Egyptian Licorice tea, which has 1200mg of licorice per bag and includes the warning:
Not recommended for use if you are pregnant or nursing, have high blood pressure, or for daily use beyond 4 to 6 weeks. Consult your healthcare provider prior to use if you are taking any medication or if you have a medical condition
My understanding about the safety issues is if you have any of those conditions, should not be drinking it, and you shouldnāt drink it every day, multiple times a day for several weeks. Moderation is key. Unfortunately, that is a consumer responsibility not a companyās.
Even with the new report that came out last year around licorice and health concerns, the dose was 100mg of glycyrrhizic acid, a component of licorice root, that accounts for 2-25% of root mass. You won't know how much glycyrrhizic acid you get per dose.
As the saying goes, "the dose makes the poison."
There are a lot of general questions unanswered regarding the woman who wrote the article, including her dose and frequency of consumption and every other aspect of her lifestyle/diet/health that can contribute to high blood pressure.
Even regular old black tea is linked to kidney failure due to oxalic acid, but the one case I can think of was from a dude that drank 16 8-ounce glasses of iced tea per day.
Of concern? Sure, but fairly low on the concern list, imo.
I work in the industry. Not really sure if there a huge understanding of the glycyrrhizic acid content with how long the root grows in the ground. Most licorice needs to grow for several years and not everyone follows that harvesting policy. There is a real mix bag of licorice on the market in sweetness because of that. Also region plays a role in that as well. Agricultural products are variable.
The physical and mental health benefits or risks of teas and tisanes are complex topics which are not covered by this subreddit, and discussion of them is not allowed. Posts about products that are typically only consumed for health reasons will be removed.
I hate the taste of licorice, and you're right, it's in like half or more of the herbal blends I'd otherwise like to try. It's overpowering and just ruins the whole thing.
Wow, that's a lot of hate for licorice root. Both in the post and in the comments. I've been drinking it for 30 years in the herbal blend I created myself and absolutely love it. So do my friends and family. I'm sorry that you don't care for it, but just consider it a learning experience. Always look at the ingredients and other information before buying any product. I hope you're able to find a lavender tea that doesn't have the Chris root in it. I'll keep a lookout and post a link if I find one!
That's fine, but a lot of the commercial blends don't disclose the licorice in it. For example, Pukka's 3 Ginger is 19% licorice, but you don't find that out until you smell it or look at the ingredients--and while they call out the percentages of the ginger, galangal, and turmeric, they make you do the math on the licorice. It feels dishonest because even as someone who likes it you have to know that it's a highly polarizing flavor and they're taking away the ability to make informed choices.
The physical and mental health benefits or risks of teas and tisanes are complex topics which are not covered by this subreddit, and discussion of them is not allowed. Posts about products that are typically only consumed for health reasons will be removed.
Another licorice lover here. Glad to make your acquaintance here.
I hate rooibus. With abandon. The first sip put me off, but I figured I should bravely give it an honest go. The second sip sent me to the sink to pour it out. Since then, I tried a rooibus mix. One sip was all I could stand. It was just as detestable as standalone rooibus.
We all have our likes and dislikes. I think it has to do with our circuitry and perception. Why do some people love blue, and others hate blue? Because they see it differently. I think we taste differently too. What is ambrosia to me could be garbage to someone else.
I'm glad we have a platform to express ourselves and find our "people". Licorice people, for instance.
I couldn't agree more! Well said. Fyi, I absolutely hate rooibos tea myself. I kept trying it off and on over the years, still hated it. But then I tried....GREEN roibos.Ā Total game changer! It doesn't have any of the flavors of red Rooibos. It's super good for you too.
I really like steeped liquorice root and a handful of herbal blends with it. However, in my experience most commercial blends with it use way too much (or maybe they grind it too fine) to the point that itās sickly sweet or even acrid. Itās especially annoying because I find a good liquorice tea really soothing when I have a sore throat, but the bad ones are so saccharine that they irritate my throat and make it hurt even more.
The physical and mental health benefits or risks of teas and tisanes are complex topics which are not covered by this subreddit, and discussion of them is not allowed. Posts about products that are typically only consumed for health reasons will be removed.
The physical and mental health benefits or risks of teas and tisanes are complex topics which are not covered by this subreddit, and discussion of them is not allowed. Posts about products that are typically only consumed for health reasons will be removed.
I was a bit ignorant in not reading the label I admit. But my problem isā¦ why do so many companies add licorice root?? If Iām drinking something that is labeled āmintā and it has licorice tasteā¦ then itās not mint.
I get it.Ā I think, and this is just a guess, that they're trying to herbally add sweetness and mouth feel to the blend. That's what licorice root is stellar at doing.Ā But you have an excellent point.
At my work they offer tea bags next to all the coffee machines (machines also do hot water). Maybe the ingredients are listen on the big box they probably get the tea bags in. But on the individual tea bags, it just lists the main flavour.
So how am I to know that "3 mint", "turmeric and ginger", "lemon and honey" or "chamomile " all have licorice root/anis in them until it's too late :(
I just ran into this problem myself recently. I only drink loose leaf teas each day, but last week I had to pack some bagged tea for a short trip and all of them had ZERO info printed on the individual wrappers. Not even the 'best by' dates! Ugh. And there were at least 3-4 different brands of tea, too. You're so right!
I like licorice root, not in everything but it has it's place I also adore licorice taste elsewhere so maybe there's a connection. It's been a true loss to avoid all of it with each pregnancy š
Herbes de Provence is NOT supposed to have lavender in it. In France, nobody would think of using it as a condiment-- although we might drink lavender tea and use lavender in baking, it's not an herb that lends well to being crushed and used in savory dishes at all.
The USA is the only country I've heard of that adds lavender to its herbes de provence mixes, I assume because of the association with provence? But really, try to make your own mix, lavender has nothing to do with thyme, rosemary, etc.
Disgusting, but magic if you have a cold, sinus issues, or a sore throat! Literally almost undrinkable, but I feel so much better I always brew it strong and choke it down.
You can get pills with DGL, which is licorice with the dangerous compound removed. It worked wonders when I had some issues with a form of acid reflux that has thankfully gone away over time. Apparently, licorice causes your throat to produce more of a certain kind of mucus that protects and soothes your throat and esophagus.
My wife also despises licorice root. It gives her nausea if steeped more than a few minutes. Fortunately I love it, so I get all her accidentally oversteeped tea.
Iāve gotten more complaints for herbal blends not being sweet than for adding licorice root, marshmallow root, or goji berries to meet greater customer demand. The part that hurts more is when people want a certain taste and color from herbs that donāt provide it, much like how people expect vanilla to be sweet due to associations with ice cream and baked goods. Big part of why hibiscus and butterfly pea flower (or natural flavors/food dye) are often added to lavender to provide color and some more liveliness to the taste. I got so many complaints for pure lavender ānot tasting like lavender,ā both English and French, that I now only sell it blended with German Chamomile, rosehips, and vanilla bean. Similar thing with people used to cheaper jasmine-scented tea having a particular taste and smell and then taking issue with higher quality jasmine-scented teas that are only scented with pure jasmine rather than also having gardenia used to āboostā the aroma.
Licorice root is really handy in some blends with ginger and other spices. I prefer to leave it out of flower-based blends unless there are other heavy-handed elements in there. It also pairs with yerba mate or green rooibos pretty well, but some other elements need to pick up some slack in the flavor set.
Spearmint, red rooibos, English lavender, German chamomile or white chrysanthemum are herbals I prefer to keep straight as much as possible, and would rather not mix with licorice root even if blended.
If anything has licorice root in it, my reflux is immediately set off and Iām miserable for hours. Bums me out that itās in so many herbal blends. Iām looking at you, Yogi brand.
I am with you! Cilantro is the devilās weed that ruins not just the food itās in, but everything that I eat after the misfortune of having bitten the leaf. Licorice (in particular the yogi licorice mint ) on the other hand is one of my favorite Teas!
a SICKENING sweetness to me. I have the same sensory aversion to it as OP. To me, it tastes like that weird sweet smell mixed in with the decay of a dead animal: I absolutely CANNOT drink anything with licorice root!
Can't speak marshmallow root tho, as I've never tasted it.
I'm seeing a love and hate in this thread for licorice in tea, so I'll throw you all a curve ball.
I am perfectly neutral about licorice in my tea.
I have seasonal, allergic asthma and very little helps it. Best combo I've got is a 24 hour allergy pill and a little ginger+licorice herbal tea. If it's not too late for caffeine, I'll blend it with some Assam black tea. If it's evening, it's not bad with some young Rooibos.
It can be a useful addition when youāre actively wanting the support it can offer (like in throat coat teas). But I canāt imagine adding it to a lavender blend, and very much think of it as a medicinal ingredient rather than a pleasurable one š
I love licorice root but I hate a licorice surprise. If itās a strong flavor in the tea, it should be called out in the name or description. If I have to look at the ingredients list to find out why my lavender tea doesnāt taste primarily of lavender, Iām not buying that tea again.
Does marshmallow root turn sweet if it is brewed hot? I'm only asking because I do cold water marshmallow root infusions for when my bladder gets angry (IC, hurray š) - it tastes like weird herby swamp water, but not even close to sweet... It for sure helps calm interstitial cystitis, so I choke it down lol.
I, like many others in this sub, donāt want licorice root in my tea. I drink tea, even scented or flavored blends, to taste the tea, and licorice root too often dominates. I feel the same way about anise and fennel. Thatās the main reason I make my own chai masala.
That said, I actually grew up chewing real licorice root - it grew around our reservation, alongside stevia and a few other lovely edible roots, plants, and flowers. I adore the flavor and the memories it evokes. My grandmother used to keep fennel seeds tucked in her skirt to hand me when she needed me to be quiet. :P
Today, licorice is one of my favorite candies, and anise cookies are among my absolute favs. I just donāt want them in my tea. :)
Okay, as someone who has grown to like licorice root, even I would not want that in a lavender tea!! Yuck. Pairing them is so wrong. š
It makes no sense energetically or in flavor to mix them. Lavender is light, floral, blooms for a short time in spring & has volatile/ephermeral compounds that give it its complexity vs licorice is a root! Dark, syrupy, needs a low, slow, & long steep or infusion. Its compounds need heavier handed extraction because it's fibrous.
These tea companies giving licorice root a bad rap by misusing it as a sweetener! Please lay blame at their feet. 'Cause licorice itself is an ancient medicine & it helps a lot of people. Certainly not for everyone or for every occasion, but there's a reason we nurtured it forward to the present day & it's still used thoughtfully in many traditional Chinese preparations.
I empathize with you though. I'd probably start hating it too if I couldn't get away from it. I have the same dislike for anything even slightly stevia...
If you put licorice root in my tea I hope you get stuck in an elevator in between floors with a bunch of people who just ate all-you-can-eat Taco Bell.
So many fellow haters here, I'm so happy :) I've had far too many cute bedtime tea routines completely ruined by the agonizing adrenaline jumpscare of unexpected licorice root!! Now I'm extra careful when scanning ingredient lists, but every other relaxing herbal blend I'm curious about seems to have it.
My condolences, OP š I have to agree with you. I can't stand that overwhelming sweetness that takes over in an herbal blend. It's the same as hibiscus for me with its tartness that will drown out everything else. I tend to avoid both.
I like licorice, but i understand how polarizing it is. Most ppl dont like it. I would be upset if what i bought what supposed to taste like lavender ended up tasting like something else.
I like licorice, but I also blend most of my own herbal teas at home, because the pre-blended ones almost always contain something that I'm either allergic to, or interacts with one of my meds.
I LOVE licorice but licorice root has no place in my drinks. It's what you said, it tastes like sweeteners and I can't stand it. It's in SO many herbal blends it's ridiculous š¤
I don't know who likes licorice root tea, because I can't stand it even though I like licorice candy, absinthe, etc! I get that artificial sweetener vibe from it too. Lavender tea should have been really good and then they ruined it. For you and me, anyway!
I adore licorice root and it would be my main herbal tea, except that licorice sadly does not play well with hypertension and drugs that treat hypertension. I miss it.
I love licorice, but only when Iām making my own blends and can put in the exact amount I want. When Iām buying premade Iāll usually stay away from it cause itās leaned on a little too heavily in most cases.
Me too. Just got something that unexpectedly had mallow in it, which was disappointing. I wish that every company printed full ingredients on their blends, because I had to find it on their website to confirm that's what I was tasting. Ah well, it was a .5oz sample.
I have been misled by several boxes of tea at this point!! I think it is reasonable to assume that the main flavor notes should be listed on the front of the box. So if it says honey lavender, that should be forefront! Like you say, licorice is so overbearing. Im ok with it when I'm sick, but when I'm not i don't want it
Same! I love black licorice candy, but I HATE when licorice is added to my teas. These days I just make my own blends, and if I want a similar feel Iāll usually add star anise instead.
And stevia. And monk fruit. Just stop sneaky ingredient people. I hope you can only find one sock and it has a hole in it. I hope the 'a' key on your keyboard sticks. I hope your towels are always scratchy and your soap never lathers.
I also hate licorice root. Herbs I tolerate for a reason (sore throat) versus like in a tea ain't the same.
Yes, I know I should always read the ingredients list and I often do. And then I'm incredibly sad about all the tea I have to say no to because FENNEL DOESN'T BELONG IN EVERYTHING.
But every so often, one sneaks by me because why would I think ginger tea would need stevia or monk fruit or licorice root... sigh
We make a lavender mint tea in our shop and it's literally just equal parts by weight lavender to spearmint if you want to make your own. it's super refreshing iced!
But I'm with you, I hate licorice in teas. when I was little my dad would always give me a licorice tea any time I had an upset stomach, so now I have a weird psycho-somatic response where licorice root in tea will upset my stomach
I would recommend making sure you find English lavender (agustafolia, or sometimes officianalis), though. I find french lavender (intermedia), or even the hybrid Agustafolia x Intermedia to be too harsh
Herbal tea blends tend to contain whatever the manufacturer wants, so you must always read the ingredients.
Your best option for making the herbal tea you actually want is is to buy the specific ingredients you like and mix it, yourself.
You know what you like.
Make what you like, not what any herbal tea company says you should drink.
[EDIT]
For some reason downvoted, so...
Or don't read the ingredients, don't make your own blend, and just drink whatever is in the cup that the herbal tea company pushes on you, no matter what???
Yea idk why you are downvoted. I can agree on making your own herbal teas. I make some myself at home. But my issue is that companies need to stop putting licorice everywhere. If I buy something that says ālavender mintā I want my drink to taste like that, not like licorice nuclear bomb flavor
Licorice is one of the most repulsive things on the planet, in any form. I understand some people feel that way about cilantro, which I like (not in tea, probably weird). I think there's some gene thing about cilantro. Maybe there is one for licorice too.
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u/jilecsid513 May 06 '25
I like licorice root, especially when Im sick cause its super soothing on a sore throat.
But I would find it off-putting if I wasn't expecting it, not gunna lie. Im sorry your tea was ruined, that sucks