Lakritsfabriken Ramlösa
Martin Jörgensen invented his premium licorice in 2011. As a chef, he wanted perfect licorice, not too hard and with the perfect size. Right in the year of invention, he won a lot of attention at the Stockholm Licorice Festival. Here is the Super Salty variant.
Licorice has been around for over 4,000 years and has been used as medicine since time immemorial. Ancient Egyptians placed licorice in the tombs of pharaohs as travel provisions. Soft licorice was invented by accident in 1760 by an English pharmacist. Sweet licorice is licorice root mixed with anise, for salty licorice is mixed with ammonia. The best licorice root thrives in the Mediterranean, Russia, China and Iran. For the best taste, the root must be at least 3-4 years old.
Gluten free licorice
After harvesting, the roots are dried in the sun and then ground. The powder is then boiled until it becomes a thick paste, which is then pressed through long tubes to form a cylinder. If this licorice is dried for a few days, the hard licorice popular in Italy is produced. In Scandinavia, the soft licorice is preferred, which is made by adding sugar and flour. In Lakritsfabriken only rice flour is used because the consistency becomes even better and the product is gluten-free.
Licorice has been used as a medicine since the 17th century, mainly for stomach problems. The sweet licorice helps against coughs and is still prescribed by doctors today. Too much of the good stuff, however, can cause high blood pressure.
If you visit Lakritsfabriken in Helsingborg, you can take a guided tour from the root to the finished licorice. At every step of the production you can taste. We are especially interested in the Salty licorice sticks with chocolate coating. Both types of chocolate, the milk chocolate and the dark chocolate come from Valrhona, one of the best chocolates in the world. The licorice chocolate sticks are refined with salt, chili or even strawberry flakes. Lakritsfabriken is for lovers of licorice who also want to eat sometimes beyond the plate.
