When John Josselyn brought the licorice plant to Boston from England in the sixteenth century, he described it as a “precious herbs.” He gave the root to the Native Americans and introduced them as a fermented licorice drink that was a curative for colds and provided good chewing to clean the teeth. The Blackfoot Indians later used the root to cure earaches.

The licorice is an amiable plant that prefers sun but can handle shade and dies back in the fall so it’s not affected by frost. Like Native Americans, European Americans considered licorice medicinal, used for everything from a diuretic to a cure for respiratory ailments. But, post Civil War, American plantation owners of the South had another use of licorice in mind. Licorice was an important flavoring for tobacco. In fact, by 1876, three-fourths of all licorice entering the country was not for candy or tea but for tobacco.