Liquorice divides opinion at the best of times, but Dutch and Scandinavian "salty liquorice" divides it even more sharply — and the reason isn't really about liquorice itself. It's a specific added ingredient that British liquorice doesn't use at all.
The ingredient that makes the difference
Dutch drop and Nordic-style liquorice get their distinctive sharp, salty-bitter edge from ammonium chloride, a salt added specifically for that taste. It sits alongside the liquorice root flavour rather than replacing it, but it's strong enough to dominate the overall taste, giving salty liquorice its reputation as something you either grew up loving or find genuinely hard to get through. British liquorice sweets — liquorice allsorts, liquorice torpedoes, liquorice sticks — are built around liquorice root extract and sugar, with no ammonium chloride involved, which is the main reason they taste noticeably sweeter and less sharp.
Why the preference splits so firmly by country
This isn't really about liquorice root itself, which both styles share — it's about exposure to ammonium chloride specifically. In the Netherlands and across Scandinavia, salty liquorice has been a standard confectionery flavour for generations, so the taste is familiar and genuinely enjoyed. Where that exposure hasn't happened, the same taste tends to register as unexpectedly harsh or chemical, which is why salty liquorice has such a strong reputation among British and American tasters trying it for the first time, often as a prank sweet or a "dare" item.
What we stock
Our liquorice range is British-style throughout: Taveners Liquorice Allsorts 3kg, Kingsway Strawberry Liquorice Slices, Kingsway Raspberry Liquorice Slices and Barratt Hard Liquorice Sticks, none of which use ammonium chloride. We don't currently stock Dutch or Nordic-style salty liquorice.
Frequently asked questions
What makes salty liquorice taste different?
Ammonium chloride, added to Dutch and Nordic-style liquorice, giving a sharp salty-bitter edge that British liquorice doesn't have.
Why is it mainly popular in certain countries?
It's an acquired taste built up through generations of exposure in Dutch and Nordic confectionery, which reads as unusually harsh elsewhere.
Do you stock salty Dutch-style liquorice?
Not currently — our liquorice range is British-style and doesn't contain ammonium chloride.