Cut Piece of Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
This closeup of the cut surface of a licorice root makes it look more like a tree branch or piece of wood, than a root. If you chew on these roots, they have a strong, distinctive licorice flavor, and are surprisingly sweet, due not to sugar but rather to the fact that chemicals in the licorice plant activate the sweet receptors on our tongues.
This image is featured in our article on Licorice.
