Ammonium chloride covered black licorice is better than sugar coated high-fructose corn syrup.
Salty licorice is so delicious. Last time I hit up the international store I found smoked salted licorice and it basically turbo crack to me. The only reason I haven't rushed back and cleared the shelf is it's like $10 a 120 g bag.
I love describing salty licorice to other Americans too. "So you know black licorice? Imagine it also being really salty and with a large hint of ammonia." Their looks of revulsion are priceless.
That liqueur sounds interesting. I think I have an affinity for things that sound wonky to most people I know. Petrochemical smells in Islay scotch? Fantastic. The funky hot garbage/burnt electronics of pot still Jamaican rum? Awesome. The sensation of making out with a spruce tree some gins have? Delicious.
I don’t know if we see the same thing, but recently I got a small bag of salty black licorice from ikea, out of surprise that it’s really a thing, not just a TikTok challenge. I like black licorice, everyone like salt: maybe there’s some synergy like with chocolate and bacon? How bad can it be? So disgusting.
My father's best friend was Dutch and he introduced me to their version, which they call Dubbel Zout. It's super salty (dubbel zout means 'double salt') and I cannot get enough of it.
But then I'm one of the few Americans who seems to love black licorice and hate the red variety.
Having been an immigrant in The Netherlands, lets just say that their licorice is an acquired taste (which I myself never did, so congrats for liking that stuff).
I don't think he gave me a piece expecting me to hate it, but he was surprised how much I loved it. I think I ate his entire supply while our trip to London (where he lived) lasted.
I love licorice too, the Panda one here in the US is very good. It's polarizing, I don't know so many people who like it but they all really like it, and it seems independent from the other flavors they like, some of my least adventurous eaters like it, and some of those with very broad plates don't like it.
To add more evidence: Japan is not in the list and people here find licorice disgusting. You cannot find it anywhere except at ikea which is far away from here. And even there they only have one type which is okayish at best. PLZ SEND HELP!
Ha, my friend is half-Finnish and would go back to see her family. She'd always give me some salty black licorice as most people here don't care for it. I never used to, but my tastebuds changed at some point (or, I guess, I only like the version from the Nordics; I haven't had the versions from the US in decades so I can't compare those).