#Licorice

Licorice root, known in Thai medicine as ชะเอมเทศ, has long held a treasured place in traditional Thai and Chinese herbalism. Sweet to the tongue but potent in effect, it remains common in Thai households for coughs, ulcers, and digestive comfort. This revision examines how ancient beliefs align with contemporary science, and what Thai readers should consider when incorporating licorice into wellness routines.

In Thai traditional medicine, ชะเอมเทศ is valued not only for its sweetness but for soothing and balancing the body. Practitioners have used the root and underground stem as an expectorant, demulcent, and general tonic to support respiratory and digestive health. The idea of cooling and moisturizing the body harmonizes with holistic Thai and Chinese concepts of internal balance. Beyond Thailand, licorice has deep roots in traditional Chinese medicine as a harmonizing agent in formulas that often include multiple herbs.

For centuries, the root of the licorice plant—known botanically as Glycyrrhiza glabra and called “ชะเอมเทศ” in Thai medicine—has occupied a cherished place in the pharmacopeias of cultures from the Mediterranean to Asia. Sweet in taste yet formidable in power, licorice is both celebrated in the annals of traditional Thai herbalism and increasingly scrutinized by modern science. Today, as Thai households continue to reach for ชะเอมเทศ in teas, herbal mixtures, and remedies for coughs or ulcers, the question arises: do the ancient beliefs stand up to the rigors of clinical evidence? Let’s explore the fascinating journey of licorice from folk healer to a subject of pharmaceutical research and discover how its traditional wisdom converges with cutting-edge science—and what that means for health-conscious Thai readers today.