Generally, ammonium chloride is found near the vents of volcanoes and maybe even in batteries. But leave it to the Finns to find a way to work it into their food. Ammonium chloride (a salt by nature) is what gives ‘Salamiakki’, a Finnish licorice candy, its salty flavor; extreme salty flavor.

In Finland, ammonium chloride is commonly known as ‘salmiac’ or ‘sal ammoniac’ and hence the candy is named ‘Salmiakki’ owing to the ammonium chloride content. The ammonium chloride in this candy is not an additive but it actually forms the base flavor of the candy along with the normal licorice flavor.

The name Salmiakki was first used by Fazer (one of the largest corporation in the Finnish food industry) but since Fazer did not trademark the name, it has become a generic trademark. Previously, Salmiakki was available as a medicinal powder known for its action as an expectorant (bringing up cough from the lungs). But as soon as it was available as a candy, it became a favorite among the people of the land.

Salmiakki candies are almost always but not limited to, black in color. There are also white, light grey or dark brown salmiakki. Also, they mostly come in diamond shape and the shape has become so common that sometimes, ‘salmiakki’ is synonymous with the diamond shape.

The candy can be bought in almost all parts of Scandinavia. For first timers, it may taste awful as the hefty dose of the salt (ammonium chloride) can be too much to handle. But the Finns say that it doesn’t take much time to get used to it.