Licorice Root Slices Gan Cao 甘草 Bulk Chinese Herbal Tea Ingredient Red Skin Dried Slices 500g

Dried Licorice Root Slices, known in TCM as Gan Cao (甘草), from Glycyrrhiza uralensis. These red-skinned root slices are a classic Chinese herbal ingredient, traditionally valued for their naturally sweet flavor and harmonizing role in herbal formulas. In TCM theory, Gan Cao is sweet in flavor and neutral in nature. Commonly used in decoctions, teas, and culinary blends such as suanmeitang. This is a food-grade agricultural product, not a substitute for medicine.

Key Selling Points

• Classic TCM herb Gan Cao 甘草 supplied as dried red-skinned root slices
• Botanical source Glycyrrhiza uralensis, a traditional Chinese herbal ingredient
• Naturally sweet flavor traditionally used to harmonize herbal blends
• Sliced form convenient for decoction, tea brewing, and culinary use
• Popular raw material for suanmeitang sour plum drink and herbal soups

Quality & Sensory

Slices typically show a reddish-brown outer skin with a pale yellow to yellowish-white cut surface and firm, fibrous texture. The aroma is mild and slightly herbal, and brewed or decocted slices yield a characteristically sweet, mellow taste.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Brew as a mild herbal tea, alone or with chrysanthemum or other herbs
• Simmer in decoctions as a traditional harmonizing ingredient
• Add to homemade suanmeitang sour plum drink
• Use in herbal soups and slow-cooked culinary recipes

Traditional Uses

In TCM practice, Gan Cao is traditionally used to harmonize the actions of other herbs in formulas and is valued for its sweet, neutral character. It is a common ingredient in daily herbal teas, decoctions, and seasonal drinks such as suanmeitang, and is often paired with herbs like chrysanthemum, jujube, or dried plum in folk preparations.

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