The Pungent Swedish Candy That Perpetually Has Americans Divided

Licorice is eaten all over the world, but different areas have very different variations. In the United Kingdom, you have the mild black licorice sold by Haribo or found in Sherbet Fountains. In the United States, you'll find red Twizzlers that don't even contain licorice extract. Perhaps the most extreme version of licorice, however, is found in the Nordic countries and often referred to as Swedish licorice, Scandinavian licorice, and salmiak (or salmiakki).

This variation is extremely, extremely salty. While the licorice extract used to make it contains glycyrrhizin, a natural sweetener that's between 50 and 100 times sweeter than sugar, there is very little sweetness that comes through in a salty black licorice product. It also contains ammonium chloride, which is what lends a totally unique salty flavor. Some versions of the candy are even completely covered in table salt.

We all know Americans and Europeans love to discuss their differences online, and salty licorice is a topic that pops up quite often. The European stereotype is that Americans hate salty licorice, but, unsurprisingly, the truth is not so definitive. Head to any Reddit thread discussing the subject, and you'll see a mix of Americans who hate and love licorice. In fact, it's one of the most controversial foods in America, and salty licorice seems to be even more of an acquired taste. To some extent, this just comes down to personal preference. On the other hand, culture plays a huge role. Salty licorice is a full-on phenomenon in the Nordics that's as prevalent as peanut butter candy in the U.S. or matcha-flavored confectionery in Japan.

Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Denmark (where I live) are the main countries that are obsessed with this salty candy, and it is truly everywhere. In Denmark, we call it lakrids, and you can find it in every supermarket. We have lakrids chocolates, lakrids ice cream, lakrids cupcakes, lakrids chewing gum, and even lakrids powders and syrups to use in savory cooking.

It's also pretty common for Danish people to carry a little box of hard, salty licorice candies in their bags in place of mints or chewing gum. I remember the relocation agent I worked with when I moved here offering me one while we were apartment hunting. It was the first time I had ever even heard of the stuff, but I don't think anything could have prepared me for that level of sheer saltiness.

The reason these countries love black licorice so much is difficult to know for certain. Curiously, no Nordic country grows licorice root, with most of it coming from India, China, western Asia, and the Middle East. However, some people hypothesize that Scandinavians developed a palate for extremely salty flavors because they have historically eaten a lot of salt-preserved foods. Thanks to the long winters, the cuisine includes more dried, smoked, pickled, and fermented foods than many other regions.