Läkerol Salmiak
Mmm, delicious salmiak flavour, that’s something we’re all familiar with, right? No? Ok, I should explain then. Salmiak is basically a salted flavour, this is salted liquorice.
The “salt” here is ammonium chloride, which is used in Scandinavia to spice up dark liquorice, and known as “Salmiakki” in Finnish, literally translated as “Salty liquorice”.
Salmiak in general is an acquired taste, and is said to be unappreciated in countries outside of Scandinavia, Netherlands and North Germany. I found this out the hard way…
This stuff made me wince, it’s hard to describe it really as anything other than…well…salty liquorice. It has the normal liquorice flavour, only…my god is it salty. I just couldn’t adapt to it despite having two boxes of the stuff, though I did eat all of them…
This box only contained 6.1% salt, there is another variety that has double the amount. Double! I cannot even imagine what that tastes like, and frankly, don’t want to. Acquired taste indeed…if you’re up to the challenge give this a go, but it wasn’t for me.
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February 29th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
I had a tiny nib of the stuff about a year ago and I’m still trying to get the taste out of my mouth.
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:05 am
Oh, those crazy Scandinavians!
March 5th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
These are maybe the best kinda candies ever
March 10th, 2008 at 5:48 am
I knew it! That crazy Scandinavian is at it again!
March 14th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
My daughter gave me a bag of Haribo Salino, Salmiak flavoured licorice from Germany. It is delicious! Yet, I am still not sure just what ‘salmiak’ really is. I have had the double-salted Dutch licorice, which was too salty for my taste, but this is difffent. It is as if regular licorice was injected with a ‘cool’ taste, sort of menthol, but not as strong.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Hi!
As a 100% Salmiakki-fan (from Finland.. of course!) I thought I’d share some info: Salmiakki actually IS salt, but not your typical household-kind, but the salt of ammonia, known as ammonium chloride. In candies it is usually used to spice up liquorice as already mentioned, but at least here in Finland it’s also sold (mixed with just sugar) as a powder in small containers. Sniffing this powder should be avoided, unless you want to create a hilarious next 10 minutes for your friends
Try to get some real salmiakki to review, original “Tyrkisk Peber” for example or something else from the same company (Fazer).
May 7th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Didn’t I say it was ammonium chloride?
*scrolls up*
I did. :/
I must say I am tempted to get some, find my idiot friend (we all have one, you know who they are) and get them to sniff it. And I’d get stuff from Finland if I could, this was sent by a friend of mine, I’ve never seen it anywhere.
May 11th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Sorry, I totally missed it, my bad.
July 22nd, 2008 at 6:26 am
Ill never forget the time my friend who was born in Holland went back over there to visit his family and came back to the U.S.A with what seemed like a life time supply of Dutch goodies some of which was Dutch & German Liquorice, he begged me to try some so I popped some liquorice that looked like coins into my mouth and I almost gagged from the salty content, it was like I poured pure table salt into my mouth and chewed on it.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I picked up two packets of liquorice from amsterdam airport, one of which turned out to be the normal sweet kind, the other salty. I opened the sweet one at home, and it seemed fine. The other I brought to me office in Bombai (Mumbai) and passed around to my colleagues. Soon there was an uproar as everyone was trying to get rid of the taste (which is hard to do when the stuff is stuck in your teeth). Personally, I don’t think the salty version is too bad, but most of my friends don’t seem to agree.
Dibs
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:08 am
So how are you supposed to eat the powder stuff anyway. I have some I got in the Netherlands, but the only way I can figure out is to just stick your finger in and lick it? Or perhaps to mix it into cookies or something?
August 4th, 2008 at 6:37 am
Maybe through a straw, you know, like a sherbert?
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:44 am
I love this stuff. I feel we here in this country are so square and close minded when it comes to candy
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I Love Salmiak, its the best thing since sliced bread but its not aprreciated much in the UK at all… but I have managed to turn a few of my friends around to it as it is just so delicious once you like it
October 6th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
I’m so excited to finally have found some salkmiakki in a US candy store! After hearing about it, I was so curious to have a taste. And I must say…it’s delightful! I love the way that it makes my mouth water as I’m eating it.
So if you have trouble finding them where you are, gentle readers, you can try either a big candy shop or Ikea. (though I can’t say if any of those are considered good by native salmiak eaters lol)
…and pianowarrior, I so agree! There are so many delicious candies in the world, but mostly we see in the US some types of gummies, wax-based fruit candies, and chocolate bars or variations thereof. Of course, those are all yummy as well! But the spicy pepper lolly pops from Turkey, the fruit-filled breads from Saudi that (according to this one guy) get you laid, those shiny silvery hard licorice jelly beans from Germany, Chinese brown candy, konnyaku treats, anything made with taro…and of course salmiakki! They’re all sadly unknown to so much of US candy and sweets consumers. Sorry, did I mention candies and sweets make up over 50% of my heart? lol
Anyway, thanks for your salmiak review! It’s such a unique flavor, right? lol
March 1st, 2010 at 9:16 pm
I think I would rather eat spoiled egg salad out of my own butt before trying this salt-death candy. YUCK!
April 28th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
My favourites are the Harbo Super Piratos
Best salt liqorice i have ever found.
Im in the uk and i dont know anyone who likes the stuff apart from my family (partly from danmark)
Im trying to find the best saltiest stuff out there
Im also trying to find the salt liqorice Chupa Chups i had when i was last in Denmark…its tricky, but i think ive found some!
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:37 am
Acquired taste? Definitely. But for comparison, imagine your first beer to having a beer now (if you’re a beer type of course)
That’s sort of like how it is.