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Dutch double salt licorice



I've never liked black licorice. I don't mind the taste of fennel or anise, and I'll even drink Sambuca every now and then, but I've always found black licorice repulsive. That is, until I tried this Dutch "dubbel zout" or double salt licorice. A Dutch co-worker was a fan, and she ate it with such zeal that I had to give it a try. To my surprise, it had all of the anise flavor I enjoy but none of the qualities I dislike in regular black licorice. That said, almost everyone else I know hates the stuff. Every time I buy it, the lady at the candy store inevitably says something like, "You're actually gonna eat that?" The folks over at Bad-Candy.com aren't fans, either. But I am. Just imagine the taste of licorice but instead of cloyingly sweet, it's really, really salty. My Dutch friend says it'll sooth a cough too.

[Photo: Nick Vagnoni]

Filed Under: Raves & Reviews, Ingredients
Tags: candy, double salt, dubbel zout, dutch, licorice

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)

Tommy Wylie

1-30-2008 @3:47PM Tommy Wylie said... I first tasted salty liquorice in Sweden in 2003. I was on a trip to Gotland with a drama group, and after our evening meal on the veranda I noticed a bag of Bassett's Sweet & Salt Black Liquorice on the table. I tried a piece of salty liquorice for the first time, and thought about spitting it out... but I thought, no they like this stuff over here, so if I want to spit it out it must be me that's in the wrong. So I persevered and after a couple of days I decided I wanted some more. I bought Malaco Salt & Blandat, which is sweet on the inside but salty on the outside, a different theme altogether. Since returning to the UK I have never seen Bassett's Sweet & Salt again, and even a search on Google brings no luck. Is the stuff still made? I remember it had "new" on the pack. My favourite salty liquorice these days is MEENK salty ovals, available from www.liquoriceheaven.co.uk, but nothing seems to match the taste of that first piece of Bassett's.

Tommy.
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Andrea

5-22-2008 @4:08PM Andrea said... I stumbled across this blog as I was searching the net to see if all the links on my site were active.

I LOVE licorice. Salty, Sweet or straight up. I eat it, buy it and sell it. I haven't seen it mentioned but Sallos Black and Whites are really yummy. They are chewy salmiak covered in a black or white candy shell. The cool thing about them is that they become more salty the more you chew them so they end with a bang unlike some that only have surface salt.
Andrea
http://www.marinamarket.com
http://www.gotlicorice.com
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Brock

4-03-2008 @11:53AM Brock said... I read the ingredient list looking to see how much sodium was in one piece... none! It’s probably that Ammonium chloride that gives it that wonderful flavor. I tried this twice on two separate occasions, and it’s just not for me and my taste buds! (I actually thought it was joke candy and I was tricked into trying it... I had to ask my co-worker if it was for real!)
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Darryll de Witte

4-25-2008 @4:09AM Darryll de Witte said... could anyone help me? as i have been after some really soft salty licorice that my dad used to bring back from Holloand. i live in cornwall, England and would love to know where sells the proper stuff!!!
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monkredey

4-29-2008 @12:12AM monkredey said... i love double zouts my friends granparents buy them and bring them to there house for his mom. but one day his little brother brought one to school i tried it and bam strait to the trash but then i tried another one and found it to taste great after the first taste so i had to find out where to get them so i whent to this candy shop called powwels candy shop and they were there i was so happy i bought a quarter pound.
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cybele

3-02-2006 @8:31PM cybele said... I'm really trying to like it. Of course it doesn't help that I started with DZ.

Over the weekend I picked up a variety of salted and non-salted Dutch licorices (including Zout) and I'm going to ease myself into it. The lady who sold it to me at Baldinger's in Zelienople (a must-stop candy store if you're near I80/79 in Western PA) said that she couldn't eat the stuff either and wanted to caution me that it might not be what I expected.

(I LOVE the photo too!)
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Joe D.

3-02-2006 @9:33PM Joe D. said... I love funky,intense European licorice. You make me wish I stopped at New York City's http://www.economycandy.com/. I was right there yesterday. They have DZ and lots of other great licorice,including some shaped like euro coins. By the way does anyone else detect an ammonia flavor in DZ?
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Krispy

3-03-2006 @8:05AM Krispy said... "By the way does anyone else detect an ammonia flavor in DZ?"

OH YES! - For me it's overpowering!

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Tom Jones

3-03-2006 @9:59AM Tom Jones said... I picked up the stuff in Williamsburg, VA once. I bought it becuase I wanted to try something new and thought I would give it a chance. And I have to say the first few pieces didn't really thrill me, but being cheap and wanting to give it a chance, I kept plowing on through, and really started to like it by the end of the bag. Anyone know where online or in the DC area I could pick some of the stuff up?
T

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Elliot Fox

3-03-2006 @10:10AM Elliot Fox said... I've always been a huge fan of black licorice, so when my mother brought home a bag of assorted dutch salt licorice, I eagerly dove in. I was disgusted, but yet strangely attracted to the stuff. I could not stop eating it, despite the fact that the overpowering salt taste made me feel physically ill. I don't think I could ever bring myself to buy some, but I'm convinced that, were anyone to ever offer me some, I would continue to gorge myself on them, making evil, puckered up faces with each saline morsel.
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Johnny L

3-03-2006 @11:02AM Johnny L said... Those things look like some sort of 60's biker/trucker pills.
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Dean H. Saxe

3-03-2006 @11:27AM Dean H. Saxe said... I LOVE this stuff! I picked up the habit in Amsterdam (no jokes, please) and got hooked on all of the licorice I could find. Salty, sweet, etc. A Dutch friend brought me some from the Netherlands which included black licorice penises and naked ladies. It was quite humorous and delicious. Though I got odd looks for chowing down on big black penises...
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Justin H.

3-03-2006 @12:16PM Justin H. said... There's a big history behind salted licorice - the salt is actually ammonium chloride, which is/was widely used as a cough medicine. When I was in Finland, I was treated to salmiakkikoskenkorva which was essentially a salted licorice vodka shot. Quite an acquired taste (and I did acquire it), but it's popular enough that they sell "candy" tablets made for crushing and disolving into koskenkorva at home - a convenient method is using the dishwasher dry cycle as a heat source!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benton/16520405/

Supposedly these types of drinks inspired the Simpson's episode where homer invents the Flaming Moe - an alcoholic drink with cough syrup.
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John

6-18-2008 @8:31PM John said... Double Salt licorice is definitely an acquired taste. I'm a huge fan of black licorice, but didn't like the DZ licorice when I first tried it, though I continued to eat it -- the odd, salty-licorice taste is strangely attractive. I've come to like it. However, I don't chew it. I let it slowly dissolve in my mouth. It's very addictive. I always have some in the kitchen now.
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chibiusa255

6-25-2008 @12:12AM chibiusa255 said... I was at the AZ Mills mall in Phoenix, AZ a few days ago and was browsing around the nice little candy shop there when I came across the DZ licorice. I love licorice and had heard of the salted types but had never had the chance to try any. I bought about a dozen pieces just to give it a shot. The first piece I honestly couldn't finish and it went into the bin after a few minutes. The salt was initially overpowering and I could feel the ammonia in my nose. The affect was almost nauseating but after a couple hours I was ready for another piece. The second piece was not so bad and after a few more I can say I'm really starting to enjoy them. If you're only used to your regular sweet American licorice then it's definitely something different. It's an acquired taste and probably not something most people are going to like from the first piece. It's a taste that I acquired pretty quickly though and I plan to stock up on them the first chance I get.
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Chirag

3-15-2006 @1:26PM Chirag said... hey...im new to this site, im trying to find out where in london i can physically go buy these doble salt licorice coins.... can anybody please help??? would be much appreciated!!! my email is chiragmodi143@hotmail.com
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Konnor

3-31-2006 @2:44PM Konnor said... I like it but I knew my friends wouldn't so as a pre-April fools joke i gave them some & now they trying desperately to get rid of the taste. XD
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Sara

8-31-2008 @12:42AM Sara said... The first time I tried double zout salted licorice was when my dad offered some too me... Must've been a LONG time ago. Anyways, that was the first time I'd tried them and they were delicious. I got addicted, I always look for them as well as my sister and dad. (My dad is dutch). It's the only salted licorice I'll eat. Fantastic stuff though! It's always funny when I buy them, because people are like "Wow, you're actually going to eat that?" And then go on to warn me and I just laugh. =]
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Alyssa

8-31-2008 @12:43AM Alyssa said... Definitely an acquired taste. Which I have, I've always liked it. I've offered some to my friends and loved to watch their reactions.. Most of which included gagging, spitting out, etc. ;)
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Mary

5-23-2006 @11:35AM Mary said... I looove the stuff -- but have never tried the super strong ones. The whales are my fave, followed by the coins. It's so addictive though! Once you get the taste in your mouth you can't stop. And I've been having such a craving lately -- I'm going to Economy Candy tomorrow. Anyone know of other stores in NYC that sell it? I found one in midtown once (around 34th), but then lost it again..
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34 Comments / 2 Pages

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