Salted Liquorice

For the longest time, ultra dark chocolate has been the unparalleled contender in my guilty pleasures list. But, I just gave salted liquorice or salmiak a try, and I am hooked. Dark chocolate – you better pull your belt buckle up because sal(miak)’s about to make things rowdy.

My Love-Hate Relationship with Liquorice

In the States, when you think of liquorice, you think of Red Twizzlers – the ones that come in the large plastic jar. I never was a fan of those sticky, sweet treats, so when it came to my Halloween candies, Twizzlers were not a welcome sight. Never in a million years would I think it would become a favorite candy.

I believe liquorice popped up on my radar during COVID-19. I was researching alternatives to toothbrushes, and I stumbled upon liquorice sticks. I bought some and tried them out, but the wet wood against the gums of my teeth did not feel good. Anyways, that is a different story. I became interested in the glycyrrhizin compound – the active ingredient in liquorice. It gives the liquorice that dry bitterness and sweetness alongside somatic effects. I think I just liked the flavor, and thus began my relationship with liquorice.

I started off with sweet black liquorice, and I thought it was pleasant. Definitely, I liked it more than the Red Twizzlers which were just sweet; black liquorice has a more complex, herbal flavor. Learning more about liquorice, I stumbled upon a rather obscure part – salted liquorice or salmiak. Salty, bitter, and sweet – this flavor combination sounded so metal, like something made in Hell. Honestly, I was intrigued, but you don’t simply find salmiak in your typical Safeway or Albertsons. So, into the archive, it went.

Salmiak

While I enjoyed black liquorice, it was more of an occasional, if-I’m-in-the-mood treat. Recently, I visited a candy shop, and they happened to carry salmiak. I sure didn’t look it, but I was excited. They had all kinds of salmiak – hard ones, soft ones, super salty, etc. I tried both the hard and soft ones. The hard one was coin-shaped, and it was actually rather hard – like eating a rubber eraser. It tasted just as rugged as it felt – salty and bitter. I kept searching for some hint of sweetness, but it was nowhere to be found. I turned towards the soft one, and immediately, I recognized the bittersweet flavor of black liquorice. The saltiness was a surprising add-in, and it left my palate confused, yet intrigued. I didn’t come onto it just yet, but it definitely warranted further investigation.

The next day, I decided to give the soft salmiak another try. I tasted the same flavors as before, but this time, with a more relaxed and focused mind, I noticed how the saltiness actually complemented the bittersweetness. The result is quite savory – similar to a teriyaki, but more salty and less sweet.

If dark chocolate is the rodeo master, then salted liquorice is the frenzied bulls. You don’t really know what’s up with it, but if you are mellow and smooth and go with the flow, you come out alright in the end. Well, metaphor attempt aside, that’s my journey with liquorice. If you want to give salted liquorice a try, hey, I commend you for your open-mindedness and gusto. Hope you enjoy it as I have. Cheers!