horehound
A bitter herb, and the old country-store candy made from it.
Also called horehound candy.
Updated September 24, 2026
horehound pronunciation
/HOR-hound/
Meaning
White horehound is a mint-family plant mountain and Southern families used for coughs and sore throats. They boiled it into tea, syrup, or hard candy. Horehound candy showed up in general stores as a brown, herbal sweet that doubled as a cough drop. Kids ate it because it was candy. Grown-ups kept it for a tickle in the throat.
How folks use it
- “Granny always kept a bag of horehound candy for when somebody got a cough.”
- “That old store still sells horehound sticks by the register.”
Origin and etymology
The plant is Marrubium vulgare, used as medicine since ancient times. Appalachian and Southern households grew or gathered it and cooked it into home remedies. Country stores sold the candy version for generations. The English name is old; the rural Southern memory of it is the bitter stick in the jar.
Frequently asked questions
What does horehound candy taste like?
Bitter and herbal, not sugary-sweet. More like an old cough drop than a modern candy bar.