Turkish Licorice and American Tobacco

The history of Smyrna licorice is briefly given as follows: Over half a century ago, a traveler recently returned from Turkey, in a lecture before a London audience, referred to the enormous growth of licorice in the valleys of the Meander[1] and Hermus[2] in Asia Minor. This came to the attention of the MacAndrews [3], a Scotch firm of ship owners whose steamers were engaged in carrying licorice, licorice paste, oranges, etc., from Spain. MacAndrews sent a man named Clark (whose wife still lived near Smyrna in 1906) to investigate. He found a native (Graeco-Italian) paste works operating at Cutzarlee ( ED. today's Koçarlı). Mr. Clark gave a most favorable report to his employers, who started a factory at Sokia, (ED. today's Söke) across the Meander valley from Cutzarlee. The root was so abundant and labor so cheap that it cost but one-tenth the price the Spaniards and Italians paid in their countries. Consequently, the profits were enormous, and from this beginning, which has made great fortunes for the investors, the licorice industry of Turkey has developed.  SOURCE


Mavi Boncuk |


Proceedings of the American Pharmaceutical Association at the Annual Meeting by American Pharmaceutical Association, National Pharmaceutical Convention, American Pharmaceutical Association Meeting (1907) "Speaking of licorice, Mr. Lloyd [3] said he had studied the subject last year in the Oriental home of licorice in the valley of the Meander and the valley of ..."


"There seems no probability of the exhaustion of this industry, notwithstanding the immense amounts demanded for export and consumed in the making of licorice paste to be used in the European and American tobacco Industries...The American duty on the extract necessitates the exportation of the crude drug to America, where the paste is then manufactured... Smyrna is the principal port of export for both licorice root and paste. The American Tobacco Trust controls the larger acreage of licorice land in the vicinity of Smyrna, and also in other sections of Asia Minor. Its aggressiveness has largely resulted in the destruction of the business of the licorice dealers who formerly supplied the drug and its extract..."
See Article: Licorice1920 by John Uri Lloyd [4]

[1] Meander or Maiandros (Ancient Greek: Μαίανδρος) is a river in Greek mythology, patron deity of the Meander river (modern Büyük Menderes River) in Caria, southern Asia Minor (modern Turkey). He is one of the sons of Oceanus and Tethys, and is the father of Cyanee, Samia and Kalamos.


[2] Hermus (pictured) is the god of the river Hermus (modern Gediz river) located in the Aegean region of Lydia (modern Turkey). Like most of the river-gods, he is the son of Oceanus and Tethys. He was the father of the Lydian nymphs. Son of Aegyptus Hermus was one of the sons of Aegyptus, by the naiad Caliadne. He married (and was murdered by) Cleopatra, daughter of Danaus and the naiad Polyxo.


[3] MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc.  is a private diversified holding company with interests in consumer products, gaming, entertainment, financial services, defense, private security, medical devices, biotechnology and other industries. Among the companies in which it holds interests are AM General, Revlon, M&F Worldwide, Panavision, Allied Security, Nephros, SIGA Technologies, Transtech Pharma Inc. and Scientific Games Corporation.


MacAndrews and Forbes Company was bought out by the American company Mafco around 1902 and later this company in turn was bought out by E.V.D. of Marseilles. Mafco Worldwide has been the world leader in quality licorice products since 1850. The Company specializes in manufacturing licorice extract and related derivatives for use as flavoring and moistening agents in various consumer products, including candies, pharmaceuticals and tobacco products. 


Approximately 73% of Mafco Worldwide’s licorice product sales are to the worldwide tobacco industry for use as tobacco masking and moistening agents in the manufacture of American blend cigarettes, moist snuff, chewing tobacco and pipe tobacco. While licorice represents a small percentage of the total cost of manufacturing American blend cigarettes and other tobacco products, the particular formulation and quantity used by each brand is an important element in the brand’s quality.


[4] John Uri Lloyd (19 April 1849 – 9 April 1936) was an American pharmacist influential to the development of pharmacognosy, ethnobotany, economic botany, and herbalism.