Glossary of Liquorice Terms

Salmiak (ammonium chloride) is a rock salt. It is industrially produced for the food industry, a white sour-salty tasting fine granulate. A maximum of 7.99 percent salt is permitted in the recipe, this must be labelled as "Extra strong adult liquorice - not children's liquorice".

The salmiak pastille is the best-known salt lozenge in Germany. The small lozenges combine the smoothness for the throat of natural licorice with the anti-inflammatory effect of salmiak salt.

In northern Europe, people like to eat salty liquorice. Salt (sodium chloride), sea salt or salmiak salt is added to the liquorice. A maximum of 7.99 per cent salt is allowed in the recipe, this must be labelled as "Extra strong adult liquorice - no children's liquorice".

Shellac is a resin secreted by the scale insect after it has fed on the sap of certain trees (poplar fig, jujube) in India and Thailand. The resin that has become solid is cut off the bark.

In sugar-free liquorice recipes, sugar is replaced by sugar substitutes that taste sweet but are excreted by the body without being metabolised.