Salt liquorice...
...is created when harsh sea air gives liquorice a spicy aroma.
The addition of salt to liquorice was probably invented by coastal dwellers. Salt liquorice is a speciality in its own right in the world of liquorice. The Netherlands and Scandinavia dominate this category with a wide variety of combinations of salt and salmiak. In Holland alone, there are nine different types of ‘dubbel zoute’, or double-salted liquorice. In Scandinavia, liquorice with ‘salmiakki’, salmiak salt, is very popular.
How does salt get into liquorice?
Salt liquorice is created when salt is added to liquorice as a flavouring. This is because liquorice recipes are cooked. The liquorice plant is the basis of liquorice. Liquorice is naturally vegan. Whether it remains so depends on the other ingredients used in the processing. First, the base mixture is cooked, then seasoned. Whether liquorice tastes sweet or salty depends on the flavouring ingredients. Salt liquorice packs a punch and remains black in appearance, or it is sprinkled with salt and develops a salt crust.
What types of salt are there?
Salt liquorice is made by adding sea salt, table salt (sodium chloride) or sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride). A maximum of 7.99% salt is permitted in the recipe.
Sal ammoniac pastilles were handmade in every pharmacy according to their own recipe. They are liquorice pastilles flavoured with sal ammoniac. Here, liquorice and sal ammoniac complement each other in their disinfecting properties and are beneficial for coughs and hoarseness. They are usually sold in attractive tins and boxes. They have always been popular companions.
Where is salt liquorice popular? And why?
Liquorice, especially salt liquorice, is very popular in the Nordic countries of Finland, Sweden and Denmark. There you can find salmiak ice cream, salmiak schnapps, smoky salt liquorice and salmiak chocolate. We can only guess why the savoury, sour and salty taste is so ‘normal’ there. My theory is that Scandinavians were accustomed to the taste of salt due to the preservation of food.
The Dutch also love liquorice, especially salted liquorice, and have many different liquorice companies in the country, each offering their own brands of salted liquorice.
In northern Germany, salted liquorice is also well known and appreciated.
The liquorice equator marks the boundary of salt liquorice preferences in Germany. Salt liquorice is not popular in southern Germany or southern Europe.
