13/06/2026
Zo lekker.....
In the Netherlands, licorice is not a sweet treat. It is a test of character.
Dutch drop — especially the salted kind — is eaten like candy, shared casually, and defended fiercely. To outsiders, it can be shocking. To the Dutch, it is comfort food. Childhood. Identity.
Salted licorice isn’t just licorice with salt sprinkled on top. It contains salmiak (ammonium chloride), a sharp, mineral compound that delivers an intense, almost medicinal punch. The flavor hits hard: salty, bitter, slightly smoky. For many first-time visitors, the reaction is instant disbelief. Faces twist. Water is grabbed. Questions are asked.
The Dutch smile and reach for another piece.
This obsession has deep roots. Licorice was already known in the Low Countries in the Middle Ages for its medicinal qualities, especially for sore throats and digestion. Over time, taste preferences shifted. Where other countries pushed licorice toward sweetness, the Dutch leaned into bitterness and salt — flavors that pair well with a maritime culture shaped by the sea, preservation, and strong tastes.
Today, the Netherlands has hundreds of varieties of drop. Hard, soft, honey-coated, double-salted, coin-shaped, diamond-cut. Supermarkets dedicate entire walls to it. Children grow up eating it. Adults debate brands with near-religious intensity.
Tourists are often warned. “Try it if you dare.” And yet, refusing drop is almost a cultural faux pas. Loving it earns instant respect. Hating it confirms what the Dutch already know: this candy was never meant for everyone.
Salted licorice is not about universal appeal. It is about belonging. If you like it, you’re in. If you don’t, more for the rest.
