European Licorice Double Salt

European Licorice Double Salt

This evening, in my guise as a mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, I stopped by Merz Apothecary in the Palmer House and got a bunch of licorice.

In the bunch was Sara’s Sweet European Licorice Double Salt, a product of Holland.



On the way home, I dropped one in my mouth and almost spit it out. It was a super saline wallop and slowly gave way to the clear and distinct tang of ammonia.

The packaging promises "Salty and Hard," but this lozenge (I don’t think it can be reasonably called “candy”), though very salty, is soft and contains ammonium chloride in what seems to be greater quantities than the actual licorice.

Salt with licorice is not that uncommon (it works well with the natural sweetness of the root), but as I sat on the Green Line sucking away, I felt like I was responding to a dare, doing something I really hadn’t oughta. There’s something within us that rebels against the taste of ammonia, which is reminiscent of rotten flesh.

Then, when I got home, I had another. Then another. Unnerving and oddly satisfying.

Dare I say that you just might edge out the Dos Equis fellow as the "Most Interesting Man In the World?"

Your report is intriguing, I'll be sure to check these treats out.

Careful, David - you're playing with fire.

A few more and you'll have yet another expensive habit...

Salt licorice is my Swedish brother-in-law's favorite candy. I attribute it to the general deprivation of cold dark Scandinavian winters. Tastes like ass to me.

I do like salt licorice and haven't had any in years but, I dunno DH that sounds kinda funky... Then again, one of my favorite beers has been described as having a "cat piss" flavor so maybe I'd like it more than I think

JimTheBeerGuy wrote:I do like salt licorice and haven't had any in years but, I dunno DH that sounds kinda funky... Then again, one of my favorite beers has been described as having a "cat piss" flavor so maybe I'd like it more than I think

There is actually a Dent brand licorice labeled "Funky" (it's Norwegian).

I see that ammonium has been added to several of the types of licorice I got from Merz.

On the other extreme, I got some pure licorice pastilles from Italy that contain just licorice and mint -- a very pleasant combo, though reminiscent of Sen-Sen. No sugar added, as licorice root is said to be much sweeter (like 50X) than sugar.

Stopped by Marion Street Cheese Market and gave a lozenge of SS's ELDS to Eric Larson. At first, he liked it, all the salt...and then it hit him.

ERIC: What is that flavor I can't describe it...?

ME: You might recognize it from old cheese, or bad fish....

ERIC: What is it?!

ME: Ammonium.

ERIC: Ahh, no, I don't want this in my mouth. (runs to spit out)

On first try, 4 of 4 people (including me) have spit out. Tonight, I just had one without thinking. Could that be a good thing?

I can't say I've ever noticed an ammonia flavor when eating salt licorice. To me, ammonia chloride tastes salty and spicy although it probably depends on how much licorice is mixed in, too. I've never tasted pure ammonia chloride.

People with high blood pressure should apparently watch their licorice intake. However, "salt" licorice doesn't provide the double punch one might expect as the ammonia chloride does not effect blood pressure like sodium chloride.

One of the first "uses" of salt licorice I ran into was to crush a bag of salt licorice and dump the powder into a newly opened bottle of vodka. After putting the lid back on, the bottle was laid in the top rack of the dishwasher and the dishwasher was started. The heat and vibration of the dishwasher was perfect to get the candy to dissolve. After a few hours in the freezer, we had ice cold salt licorice shots. Of course, I'm much to refined these days to even understand what to do with a salt licorice shot but I'm pretty sure this quickly got me over my fear of salt licorice...

These days, my domesticated butt doesn't get much crazier than a scoop of salt licorice ice cream.

Bad Candy is repulsed by DZ

I've now detected ammonium (and confirmed its presence on ingredients label) in several licorice preparations.

That explains my lifelong dislike of licorice and everything it stands for.

Oh, man, do I love me some salt (salmiac/ammonium chloride) licorice. Thanks for the tip on where to pick some up. Meijer used to sell a brand of salt licorice--I can't remember which one it was. I think it was one of the pastille-types rather than the gummy one that Fazer sells (salta katten or something like that.) I haven't had any of the Dutch varieties yet, so I'll be sure to stop by the Palmer House and pick some up.

I think I must be some sort of anti-super taster, because this stuff was delicious to me the first time I had it. That little sting of ammonia up your nose is oddly satisfying.

stevez wrote:That explains my lifelong dislike of licorice and everything it stands for.

The stuff that passes for treats in Sweden - aside from the Daim and the late Amigo bar (bizarrely delicious chocolate bar with bits of corn chips in it) - is a puzzler. Okay, maybe Bilar gets a pass. But not because it's good.

Hi,

I was at Ikea this evening. I bought some Swedish double salt licorice fishes for Hammond.

I don't generally like licorice, though I like anise. As much as I loved the Good N'Plenty commercials, I never liked the candy associated with it.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

I was at Ikea this evening. I bought some Swedish double salt licorice fishes for Hammond.

I don't generally like licorice, though I like anise. As much as I loved the Good N'Plenty commercials, I never liked the candy associated with it.

Regards,

Thank you, C2. I appreciate the thought.

Good N'Plenty probably not the best representative of licorice. There are some fine non-ammoniated licorice candies out there (Kookaburra is pretty good -- even the red licorice actually contains licorice root extract, which is unusual). I understand, though, that there are some for whom licorice will never taste good.

C2 gifted me with some licorice Swedish fish last night. I think it was a gag gift (yes, pun).

On the back, on the list of ingredients, is salmiak (ammonium chloride).



I am building up a tolerance to the stuff, even in candy that advertises it as the primary component, as with the other bag (left). This licorice is for those of us who like our licorice lozenges “extra strong and aromatic.”

Saltiness and ammonium chloride seem to go hand-in-hand.

An entrée of lye-prepared lutefisk followed up by ammoniated licorice leaves a very clean taste in the mouth.

Binko wrote:Oh, man, do I love me some salt (salmiac/ammonium chloride) licorice. Thanks for the tip on where to pick some up.

Things have improved a lot since I first arrived from the Netherlands 14 years ago. About the only place to get it were the Swedish delis in Andersonville. Now there are two good sources (besides Merz) that I can think of:
- The World Market chain carries a half dozen varieties or so, including double salts imported from the Netherlands
- Candiality on Southport just north of the Brown line stop probably has the largest selection of licorice in the city. More expensive per lb, but you can get as much or as little as you want

David Hammond wrote:

I've now had a week to eat through a large quantity of licorice, and the Salty Licorice Fish, which C2 was kind enough to pick up for me at Ikea, are really good. They're soft, pleasingly salty with just a hint of ammonium on the backend. A definite candy (and not all licorice is kid’s stuff) with great shape.

Picked up a tin of Tyrkisk Peber in Copenhagen, where I found many varieties of licorice I hadn’t seen before:



Tyrkisk Peber is a Finnish variety that opens with a lot of salt and is filled with a hot, sweet goo. I also brought home a sore throat, and the combination of salt and heat along with the demulcent quality of the licorice are very soothing (and, yeah, there is an ammonium under-note).

I’m wondering if the saltiness might be good for my swollen throat (salt might help draw out moisture from inflamed tissue and thus reduce swelling– just speculating here).

I'm eating my way through the Fox & Obel candy counter, am on the very bottom shelf now, and just noticed this morning that they carry Lakrids Figurer, which I don't see at Kuhn's or the various places I usually pick up licorice on the NW side. I like the Figurer because it includes a menagerie of both mildly salted and sweet licorice. The salt level is just right for me, and I like the animal shapes. FWIW, Fox & Obel also carries Kookaburra, Gustaf's and one or two other licorice brands.

duppie wrote:

Binko wrote:Oh, man, do I love me some salt (salmiac/ammonium chloride) licorice. Thanks for the tip on where to pick some up.

Things have improved a lot since I first arrived from the Netherlands 14 years ago. About the only place to get it were the Swedish delis in Andersonville. Now there are two good sources (besides Merz) that I can think of:
- The World Market chain carries a half dozen varieties or so, including double salts imported from the Netherlands
- Candiality on Southport just north of the Brown line stop probably has the largest selection of licorice in the city. More expensive per lb, but you can get as much or as little as you want

I guess I was wrong on the World Market chain. They no longer seem to carry the good selection of licorice.

Gene's in Lincoln Square however seems to be improving their selection, including larger bags.