Did you know that licorice (or liquorice) is the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra from which a sweet flavor can be extracted. Liquorice flavors are used as candies or sweeteners, particularly in some European and Middle Eastern countries. But what we often call licorice in the United States contains no Glycyrrhiza. Can you imagine?
That is one of the reasons people love Nordic liquorice. Recently, CBS Sunday Morning did a report on Lakrid, a gourmet licorice company in Denmark. (Please note, we disagree with the reporter’s comments about the taste of the licorice — fake news for sure.)
Ingebretsen’s has carried Lakrid licorice for a long time and you can get some for yourself or as a gift this holiday season for a licorice/liquorice lover on your shopping list. Here are the types of liquorice we carry, and a description of each one from the manufacturer.
No. 1 — Sweet Liquorice — Sweetness balanced with strength and a touch of finesse from pure aniseed. To many, NO.1 is not just their number one, it’s their one and only.
No. 2 — Salty Liquorice — When your lips close around a bite of this strong, salty liquorice, the potent Nordic taste explodes on your tongue, bringing up associations of the sea, tar, bonfire smoke and the scent of resin. Salty Liquorice is the absolute favourite in the Nordic countries, but the roots come from Iran.
No. 3 — Red Liquorice — It has taken us more than 5 years to create Johan Bülow’s answer to American liquorice. Red liquorice – soft and chewy with fruit and juice. An exquisite taste of blackcurrant, cranberry, lemon and strawberry, balanced with liquorice. Naturally, NO.3 is Gluten Free and has no colour additives.
A — Chocolate Coated Liquorice — Soft liquorice coated with chocolate and liquorice powder. We first discovered it in Iceland where it has been a classic for generations. Our version of this liquorice is coated in exclusive Belgian chocolate and our own liquorice powder. According to many, A is instantly addictive.
C — Dark & Coffee Chocolate Coated Liquorice — For a connoisseur, good coffee tends to be part of every day life. Lakrids C was created by request from our first mentor, Wolf Wallner. He thought that the blend of coffee and liquorice had two advantages: the liquorice is chewy and the coffee gets you going. Lakrids C is a sweet liquorice coated in a blend of milk, dark chocolate and granules of roasted coffee. Cocoa powder forms the outer layer and these are a good source of coffee all day long.
D — Salt & Caramel Chocolate Coated Liquorice — We should warn you, it is almost impossible to resist this winning combination of salted caramel and sweet liquorice. D is the perfect sweet-salty experience, ideal to satisfy your mid-afternoon munchies together with a cup of tea or coffee. Feisty and gentle at the same time.
Caramel Rouge — A pretty little crush with a heart of gold and rosy red cheeks… Caramel Rouge hides its sweet liquorice and Dulce chocolate behind a smooth layer of cherry.
Dark & Sea Salt — Over the years, several people have asked us why we don’t make more variants with dark chocolate and liquorice. This time, we’ve cooked up something special that we’ve never tried before: Soft liquorice with dark chocolate combined with small flakes of sea salt.
We carry many other brands of licorice and you can find them here.