Not a particularly big fan of the licorice flavor anyway, I
felt it wouldn’t be very VASGO of me to skip out on an opportunity to try a new
thing.
Then Santa told me they actually have three different
kinds of salt licorice there.
Three?
That’s a lot of licorice.
Probably too much for this VASGO.
But never afraid (usually) to get my hands dirty, especially when it
involves food, I said I’ll take the whole lot!
That is, I will try each type.
So we bought two pieces of each, brought them home and
put on the Salt Licorice Showdown just for you. To each piece of candy, may the odds be ever in your favor! Let the games begin!
Test #1: Salt Licorice Unidentifiable Rats/Squirrels/Beavers/Leeches/Slugs/Crocodiles
Feel: Soft and squishy.
Same texture as gummy bears.
Solid but easy to chew. Highly elastic.
You could bend this into any direction.
Taste: Somewhat sweet.
Licorice tones are medium and that made it surprisingly
palatable.
Saltiness: On a scale of 1 (not salty) to 10 (very
salty), I give this a 6. It’s fairly salty.
Aftertaste: Once it’s in my stomach, a very pleasant and light taste of sweet licorice remains in my mouth. Easily my favorite part of this candy piece.
Overall Impression: The salt almost overpowered the sweet
licorice flavor at first creating an
acidic, tangy sensation on my tongue. As
I chewed, though, the salt still was present. Almost too much. By the time I finished chewing, I wanted the
saltiness to go away and I just wanted sweet and licorice flavor in my
mouth. But we can’t all have what we
want, can we?
Test #2: Salt Licorice Coins
Feel: More firm. Pressing on it has a little give but it
is less elastic than #1. Texture more like one of those really big gummy bears where it's not quite as rubbery. More dense,
easier to chew and dissolve in the mouth than number 1.
Taste: Licorice flavor is stronger in this one, almost
overpowering the salt. A lighter
sweetness than #1 as well.
Saltiness: I give this a 5. I could tell it was salty, and but the
licorice taste overcame it quickly.
Aftertaste: Not really that pleasant. Heavy on the menthol. It was a weird sensation. Did I just eat a Fisherman's Friend throat lozenge?
Overall Impression: The larger amount of licorice flavor
created an odd sensation. It freshened
my breath as if it were menthol. As I
chewed, the menthol really grew, even opened my sinuses. And that salty taste would not go away
either. Easily my least favorite piece.
Test #3: Salt Licorice Peace Signs
Feel: Rather tough.
Very little give when pressed.
Salt exterior makes the feeling rough on the outside. This is the least elastic of all three. It does not like being bent. It’s very
chewy. Almost to the hardness of a JuJuBe
candy.
Taste: There were hints of flavors other than licorice in
this. I got tastes of vanilla and
nutmeg, even some sarsaparilla. The licorice taste was hardly noticeable in
fact.
Saltiness: I give this 3 out of 10. It’s kind of salty, but the other flavors mix
quickly with the rest.
Aftertaste: Sweet, the tastes of the rootbeer more than licorice.
Overall Impression: Even though it was thinly coated in a salt
wash, the flavors of authentic rootbeer (the real stuff is brewed from roots
such as sarsaparilla, licorice root, wintergreen leaves, ginger, and more) came
out and masked the saltiness. This became
a surprisingly delicious candy. My
definite favorite.
Final Thoughts:
Salt licorice is a very unique product. I can’t believe that even the smallest bites
caused tidal waves of saliva in my mouth.
The mixture of salty, sweet, and menthol must be the catalysts for this
tongue rollercoaster ride.
Because I’m not particularly a fan of licorice flavor
(Except when anise flavored liquor is used in Oysters Rockefeller. YUM!), my
favorite salt licorice candy was the peace sign because it reminded me more of authentic rootbeer flavors than anything else.
Regardless of my opinion, I recommend trying something
new such as salt licorice like I did.
You never know, you might find your new favorite candy this way!
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