Even in the time of the Ancient Greeks, Calabria’s s soil and climate had already proved ideal for growing long, thick and sweet licorice roots. Skilled expertise and then an industry grew up around licorice in Rossano, a beautiful hill town that was one of the main centers of Byzantine civilization in Calabria, assuming importance when Reggio di Calabria fell to the Saracens in the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries.

The ancient Greeks introduced the Rossanesi to this wonderful herb with its distinctive taste and a wide range of uses.    Today, Rossano is still home to the Italian licorice trade and even has a licorice museum that celebrates its most famous export. Licorice-loving tourists come just to savor the “black gold.”