Tag: Nordic candy

In Northern Europe, a confectionery specialty known as salty licorice, or salmiakki, is flavored not with table salt but with ammonium chloride. This unique ingredient is the surprising reason why salted licorice tastes like ammonia, a flavor profile that is either passionately loved or intensely disliked.

In a 2023 study published in *Nature Communications*, researchers identified ammonium chloride as a potential sixth basic taste, activating the same receptors that signal sourness. This compound is famously used to give salty licorice, or salmiakki, its unique and potent flavour, leading many consumers to wonder: is ammonium chloride safe to eat in licorice?.