Vanessa just sprang this famously horrible Scandinavian candy on us -- Lakrisal, which los Internets say is made almost entirely of sugar, liquorice and ammonium chloride. Her Norwegian friend says Lakrisal is as popular over there as Altoids are here. Think salty liquorice, and be brave.
Me, I refuse to be defeated by food. I've met this particular flavor before and worked on getting so I could eat it, starting with preserved salted plums. Still, I don't know if I can get myself to choke down the second Lakrisal I took from the pack. As Vanessa said, the experience just gets worse as you go.
After watching me struggle for several minutes, Julia tried a Lakrisal. She said the flavor reminds her of soy sauce, as though this were soy sauce candy. Unthinkable, right? And perhaps life-changing. "Nothing will ever taste good again," she said.
Now we want to test the Lakrisal on Bill. If he reads this post and decides to try them -- the flavor he could resist, but the dare? -- we'll let you know. Meanwhile, if anyone understands the science of why this taste is so hard to take, please let us know.
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Im a huge fan of black liquorice but the Euro salty/liquorice candies are horrible!
The "Nothing will ever taste good again" quote is classic :D
They should call it Lacrimal
Tried it once on the recommendation of some Swedish travel buddies without knowing what it was. Gagged, choked. Almost lost my lunch, a scene which was made all the worse by the fact we were on a public bus in Copenhagen at the time with lots of confused Danes staring at me. Never again. There isn't enough water on the planet to cleanse the palate after one of those things touches your tongue.
In the little town of Roche Harbor, Washington, on San Juan Island, is a candy store that specializes in licorice. I bought an assortment to taste. There was some salty licorice in the bag. It's the only candy I ever remember spitting out. I can't imagine anything worse than that, but I know I don't ever want anything to do with it if there is.
Well, this is just a guess, but Ammonium Chloride is produced in nature by volcanos. it is also in that white powdery stuff left over when you burn charcoal. It used in explosives, fireworks, cough syrup and household cleaners.
So, yeah, it takes like drain cleaner.
@John -- great lead. Thank you.
Only a further guess, but I'm pretty sure that ammonia, while not an inherent component of urine, is produced by the bacterial breakdown of urine. So the scent of that ingredient would be reminiscent, e.g. of aging cat pee... (not that I let my little buddies' litter box go long enough to know from personal experience).
;-)
nom?
They use these candies to make a licorice flavored alcoholic beverage. It is kept frozen and is almost a gel. (There is a local Christmas party that serves it every year.) Kind of like Absinthe, candy and road salt mixed in a frozen alcoholic gel. Not bad in small doses.
I lived in Holland for a number of years and they are also fond of the salty licorice. Some of it is inedible for someone who wasn't born there, such as dubbel zout, which is exactly what it sounds like (double salt) and the aforementioned lakrisal. On the other hand there are some lightly salted varieties that are quite tasty, assuming you like licorice at all. There was one called Heksedrop (i think that's the name, but I might be off slightly). It was chewy, little tube shaped licorices and had granulated sugar on the outside but was a bit salty. I really found that one somewhat addictive.
I am no food scientist or biologist but, my theory is that the ammonium chloride, being an electrolyte, enhances the piezoelectric reactions on the taste buds turning up their sensitivity. The enhanced sensitivity make the tastes buds signal bitter, sour, salty and sweet taste all at once with the combination of the former crowding out signals for sweet.
Interesting, the flavor may be triggering a food aversion (Deckers, 2010)
@TodoInTX I can work with that. Thank you.
Maybe just eat a ball of wasabi and call it a day?
I love wasabi. That's a challenge food, but in a different way and with a far better result.
Oh yeah! Wasabi- love that sinus clearing, tear duct flushing stuff! More wasabi, please.
Have no idea about the science, but remember, the ever mysterious "lutefisk' comes from the same general hemisphere. Be warned.
Lutefisk was the first thing that came to mind when I heard about something Norwegian and tasting unpleasant. Even my Norski roots couldn't get past cod brined in lye, soaked to remove causticity, and steamed until it's wonderfully gelatinous! Copious amounts of beer or aquavit helps to quell the gag reflex...
Remember these are people who eat fish soaked in lye.
A rRoman, returning from a visit to Scandinavia, was asked, "How's the chow?"
He replied, "de gustibus non est disputandum"
Try drinking Coca Cola after eating a Lakrisal, the sensation is quite disgusting. Seriously.
Sort of like kissing a person who has eaten a Snickers bar followed by a hit of albuterol. Once was enough. Love licorice, love salty stuff, even love nibbling dried salted plums, but the salted licorice--no!
Sounds a lot like Sen Sen, an acquired taste. I never did acquire the taste.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-09-03/features/8502270616_1_envelope-package-sen-sen-breath
The idea of eating chocolate covered ants used to gross me out, but now it sounds like a pleasure.
I thank you for giving me a good way to end children from ever coming to my house to 'trick-or-treat for Halloween again. Lakrisal for everyone!
Now I want to see Lakrsal go head-to-head against durian.
Ahhh yes, a Finnish friend of mine raves about it, only there they call it salmiakki. Blecchh. I would also be one to side-eye anything that comes from the land of lutefisk...now lefse, that I can get behind.
and don't forget lingonberries, and glogg, two of my favorite Scandinavian treats. I wonder if the comparative obesity problem might be addressed if Americans had more access to Lakrisal and other stuff (and less to nachos and the like).
Seems like the perfect companion to gefilte fish
There are many variations (strengths) of salt- licorice and as a Swedish immigrant I think it's safe to say that you need a bit of Swedish DNA in you to tolerate this taste!
i had this once in holland. it's like buckley's cough medicine with a twist. never want to have another. are these not the same people that eat rotten fish?
As someone who was born and lives in Canada, but grew up entirely Swedish, it was always a favourite when we went home to Sweden to visit the relatives (and still is). However, I think it's an acquired taste.
As someone who was born and lives in Canada, but grew up entirely Swedish, it was always something to look forward to when we went home to visit the relatives. However, I do think it's an acquired taste.
And no - we do not eat rotten fish!
I tried one. It tasted like sulfur, black licorice and bitter salt. Interesting but no thanks. A Danish guy was handing them out in the office at work, [ I work in China in an international school ]. He also laughed his behind off at my expression.
Dear Rachel, just think about what else everyone is eating.
I knew someone in college who picked up the doubled-salted licorice habit while living in the Netherlands. It took her an entire year to acquire a taste for it.