Licorice is one of the most versatile herbs in the world, and probably one of the top five or ten most commonly used herbs in all of Chinese Traditional Medicine. From a medicinal standpoint licorice has several well-established and well-documented properties. One of these is its medicinal, demulcent effect that soothes irritated mucus membranes, which is why licorice is a favorite ingredient in cough/throat syrups for over a hundred years.