Scandinavians & Salty Black Licorice, A Love Story

Salty, Spicy, and Sweet

One of my favorite things to do growing up in America was to introduce my American friends to Danish black licorice candy. I loved to offer them a taste and then watch their faces pucker up in horror as they realized what they thought was going to be sugary sweet was actually salty and sometimes even spicy. My family would come back from our summer trip to Denmark, our suitcases bursting with various Danish goods, but in all honesty, they were mostly variations on black licorice. Simply put – we Scandinavians just have an obsession with these salty and sweet treats that get our blood pumping and even sometimes burn the roof of our mouths. You may be wondering – why? Why in the world would this type of candy even exist? Well, today’s blog post will hopefully answer that question for you.

What is Licorice?

Licorice is a candy that is flavored and colored with extract from the roots of a plant called Glycyrrhiza glabra. Historically, both ancient Chinese and ancient Egyptian societies used licorice for medicine. The taste is very similar to another plant, called anise, and some companies actually make licorice candies with anise oil instead of extract from the licorice plant. Licorice has some negative side effects, as it contains the natural sweetener glycyrrhizin, which can increase blood pressure and decrease potassium levels in the body. However, it is safe to consume in reasonable amounts, so don’t let this sway you from enjoying the candy.

Glycyrrhizin is also very sweet, even sweeter than sugar, so a lot of licorice candy contains ammonium chloride. This makes the candy salty, and the higher the concentration of ammonium chloride in the candy, the saltier it is. Most Scandinavian candy contains this, as it balances out the sweetness of the glycyrrhizin. Scandinavian licorice is, of course, an acquired taste, one many would describe as a “love it or hate it” taste.

Strong Flavors, Cold Winters

So – given this entire explanation of what licorice actually is – why do Scandinavians love it so much? Well, the simple answer is that it is a strong flavor, and in general, Scandinavians like strong and salty flavors. For example, we love foods like pickled herring and fermented fish. The balance between salty and sweet is something that appeals to the Scandinavian palate, and salty licorice certainly achieves that balance. Another simple answer is that it keeps us warm and keeps our blood flowing during the cold and dark winters. This is definitely not an answer that anyone can scientifically prove, but perhaps there is still some merit to it. Most likely, the reason we love licorice so much is just that we grew up eating it, and so our palates are used to it and, in some ways, addicted to it.

Our Favorite Licorice Sweets

Even if there is no clear answer for why we love licorice so much, there is no doubt that we do. A trip to Scandinavia will easily prove this to you! You can find licorice in everything and anything: ice cream, chocolate, vodka, cocktails, gum, etc. For example, one of my favorite ice creams in the world is Kungfu ice cream: a popsicle with a lemonade and licorice flavor.

Finally, we wanted to end this post by listing a few of our favorite Scandinavian licorice candies that you can try if you’re feeling brave!

*Links marked with a * are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.