An intensely flavored salty licorice candy seasoned with ammonium chloride, which gives it a sharp, tongue-numbing tang quite unlike sweet licorice. It is a defining Finnish confection, beloved to the point of flavoring ice cream, liqueurs, and chocolate.
Salmiakki is the salty-liquorice confection Finland adores, flavoured with ammonium chloride for its sharp, tongue-numbing bite. It began as a pharmacy cough remedy before crossing into sweets — an acquired taste that became a national one.
The first hit is salty and sharp, almost mineral, before a deep, bitter-sweet licorice flavor unfurls and lingers. It numbs the tip of the tongue and divides newcomers instantly. For Finns it is addictive, bracing, and intensely nostalgic.
Ammonium chloride provides the signature salty, astringent bite and a mild numbing sensation distinct from table salt. Cooking the sugar syrup to the hard-crack stage sets the candy firm, while licorice extract supplies the dark, characteristic base flavor.
Variations
Soft chewable type, hard pastilles, coated in chocolate, dissolved into salmiakki liqueur or ice cream
On the Palate
Where Salmiakki sits in the Finnish flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 20How it's made
7 steps · 30 min active · 60 min waiting
- 15 min
Combine sugar, glucose syrup, and water in a heavy pot and stir to dissolve.
- 25 min
Add licorice root extract and ammonium chloride, stirring until fully blended.
- 310 min
Heat the mixture, stirring, until it reaches the firm hard-crack candy stage.
- 43 min
Stir in a little flour or gelatin to set the texture, depending on the style desired.
- 55 min
Pour the hot mixture into greased candy molds or onto a lined tray.
- 660 min
Let the candy cool and firm up completely at room temperature.
- 75 min
Unmold or cut into pieces and dust lightly with extra ammonium chloride if desired.
