Gan Cao Slices (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) — Gansu Red-Skin Licorice Root for Sour Plum Soup & Herbal Blends

Gan Cao (甘草), botanically Glycyrrhiza uralensis and commonly known as Licorice Root, is the dried root of one of the most honored harmonizing herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Grown in Gansu Province and prized for its red-brown skin, this food-herb (药食同源) ingredient has been used for centuries as a sweet, neutral, and deeply balancing herb — traditionally valued for tonifying the Qi, moistening the Lungs, easing the throat, and harmonizing the character of every formula it joins. Its nature is sweet and neutral, making it one of the few herbs gentle enough to appear in everyday teas, soups, and classic summer drinks like sour plum soup (酸梅汤).

Key Selling Points

• Food-herb (药食同源) licorice root from Gansu Province
• Red-skin Gan Cao with sweet, neutral TCM nature
• Traditional harmonizing herb for teas, soups, and sour plum soup
• New-crop, freshly packed 500 g bulk format
• Botanical identity: Glycyrrhiza uralensis

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is sorted and packed to preserve its characteristic red-brown outer skin, firm fibrous texture, and clean, dry appearance. The cut root pieces carry a mild, sweet, hay-like aroma. When simmered or steeped, Gan Cao releases a warm, lingering sweetness with a soft earthy undertone — the very sweetness that has made it the traditional finishing touch in sour plum soup, herbal decoctions, and everyday wellness teas.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Sour plum soup (酸梅汤) and traditional summer drinks
• Herbal tea blends and daily decoctions
• Chinese-style soups, broths, and stews
• Medicinal food (药膳) cooking and congee
• Herbal pairing base for formulas

Traditional Uses

In folk herbal practice, Gan Cao is decocted into soups, teas, and congee, and is famously the sweet, harmonizing note in sour plum soup, where it balances the tartness of smoked plum with a mellow, rounded finish. It appears in countless traditional formulas as the herb that 'harmonizes the hundred herbs,' softening sharp flavors and blending ingredients into a single, smooth decoction. In daily life, it is simmered with jujube, goji berry, or chrysanthemum for a gentle, sweet infusion, and added to slow-cooked broths for depth and warmth.

FAQ Q&A