Liquorice, or licorice, (/ˈlɪkᵊrɪʃ/ LIK-(ə-)rish or /ˈlɪkᵊrɪs/ LIK-(ə-)ris) is the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra from which a sweet flavour can be extracted.he word liquorice is derived (via the Old French licoresse) from the Greek γλυκύρριζα (glukurrhiza), meaning sweet root, from γλυκύς (glukus), sweet + ῥίζα (rhiza), root, the name provided by Dioscorides.