kadó Memories

Berlin has everything except ...

Liquorice. Having moved to Berlin from the north, I was on the lookout for this drug, botanical name: Glycyrhizzia glabra. Liquorice is cooked from the liquorice root of this plant, is a natural plant product. And what delicious things can come out of it ...

This is what a liquorice root harvest looks like at the Amarelli company in southern Italy. About 100kg of roots are needed to cook 10kg of liquorice extract.

I knew my way around Holland, since my teenage years I often went from Emden across the Dollart to the neighbouring country to buy liquorice. Favourite varieties: Muntdrop and DZ, double-salted liquorice, still forbidden in Germany at that time.

Berlin had no idea about liquorice, this fact was researched after finishing my studies and the idea hit me like a bolt of lightning: liquorice shop! My parents were "thrilled", you don't need to study for that, child. Let's just say it didn't hurt either. After all, a business is first of all an idea that needs to be implemented well. First tests at weekly markets with "Dropjes & Koekjes" show the first, predominantly Dutch assortment with liquorice & cakes.

Famous in Holland, the lekker DZ liquorice, dubble zout. In German: twice salted liquorice. In Germany, it was a staple product until uniform EU food regulations allowed it to be sold in this country. Up to 7.99% salt is allowed in the recipe and requires a note that this is an "extra strong adult liquorice - not children's liquorice".

The liquorice research in Scandinavia expanded our liquorice assortment. Here, liquorice was also available in other aggregate states: in jam and even as Snapsi!

And then there is sal ammoniac, a rock salt that is now produced industrially. It gives the liquorice a sour-salty note. Depending on the amount used in the recipe, it is also a candidate for "adult liquorice".

But ammonium chloride can also keep a mildly sweet recipe from being "too sweet", and used sparingly, it can bring a sweet and savoury note to the liquorice. Like here with the Danish Heksenhyl - another of my absolute favourites.

Jam with liquorice. Here, no cat's paws are dissolved, but 1 teaspoon of pure liquorice powder is added to the recipe. In this way, the cook takes advantage of the property that liquorice is wonderfully aromatic with (tart) fruit. Hallonlakrits is very popular in Scandinavia, so it is not surprising that liquorice with raspberry jam is already available for breakfast.

Pippi Langstrum sends her regards ... This little spunk dot is made of liquorice and is deliciously spicy and crunchy. Each liquorice has its own consistency, together they create a liquorice delight.

The liquorice pipe, a hit, not only from my childhood. It was smoked together with friends "in the secret club", far away from the siblings. Here in a friendly 8-pack from Finland. Because Haribo pipes with the foam head were handmade and that became too expensive at some point.

Salta cassis, a very popular variety. Fruity and liquoricey, it was simply delicious. Unfortunately, liquorice companies are sometimes bought up and the new one takes the bestseller out of the range because it actually only makes wine gum. So why do people buy liquorice recipes?
Well, sometimes recipes reappear, new boss, new strategy, let's wait and see.