Swedish black licorice spans a wider range of flavors, textures, and intensities than most people expect before they explore it. The unifying thread across all of them is real licorice root extract from Glycyrrhiza glabra and, in most varieties, ammonium chloride (salmiak). What changes is the salmiak concentration, the format, the additional flavors, and the chocolate coating. Here are ten types worth trying, organized from the most approachable to the most intense.
1. Mild Sweet Black Licorice
The gentlest form of Swedish black licorice uses real licorice root with very low salmiak, resulting in a candy that is primarily sweet with real licorice character but no mineral sharpness. This is the best starting point for anyone who thinks they dislike black licorice, because it removes the salmiak variable and demonstrates what real licorice root tastes like on its own terms. Haupt Lakrits' Sweet Swedish Bastards represents this style.
2. Medium Salmiak Licorice
Medium salmiak licorice is the benchmark of the Swedish tradition: real licorice root with a noticeable mineral, savory edge from ammonium chloride. This is the style most Swedes consider normal. The salmiak is present and clearly distinguishable from sweetness, but not confrontational. Smalanningar by Haupt Lakrits is this style.
3. Strong Salmiak Licorice
Strong salmiak licorice pushes the ammonium chloride content higher, creating a more intense mineral experience. The licorice root character is still present but the salmiak is the dominant note. This is the style preferred by experienced salmiak eaters and the style that most surprises first-time international buyers. It is the style that defines Nordic licorice culture for outsiders. Haupt Lakrits' Smalanningar at the stronger end, and Svenskjavlar at the extreme, cover this range.
4. Extreme Salmiak: The World's Saltiest Licorice
Svenskjavlar by Haupt Lakrits holds the distinction of the world's saltiest licorice: the highest ammonium chloride concentration in the standard range. Eating it is a distinct sensory experience. The salmiak is immediate and sustained, the licorice root is present underneath, and the aftertaste is long. This is not a starting point. It is a destination for people who want to understand what salmiak licorice is actually capable of. Read more in Svenskjavlar: The Story Behind the World's Saltiest Licorice.
5. Milk Chocolate Coated Licorice
Chocolate-coated Swedish licorice uses the sweetness and creaminess of chocolate to contrast the salmiak and herbal character of the licorice center. Milk chocolate provides the most accessible contrast: enough sweetness to soften the salmiak edge without covering it entirely. Chilla Gunilla by Haupt Lakrits is the reference product in this style. The chocolate cracks cleanly over a firm, chewy licorice center.
6. Dark Chocolate Coated Licorice
Dark chocolate amplifies rather than softens the herbal bitterness of real licorice root. The combination is more complex and more intense than milk chocolate, suited to buyers who appreciate both dark chocolate and strong flavors. Chokade Svenskjavlar uses dark chocolate with the world's saltiest licorice center, which is the most extreme version of this style available.
7. White Chocolate Coated Licorice
White chocolate, with no cocoa solids and no bitterness, creates the most striking contrast of all chocolate coatings against salmiak licorice. The sweetness of the white chocolate makes the salmiak character of the licorice more prominent rather than less. Ultra Violet by Haupt Lakrits is this style and has won international candy awards for the combination. Read the story in Ultra Violet: The Award-Winning White Chocolate Licorice.
8. Mint Chocolate Licorice
Adding peppermint to chocolate-coated licorice creates a three-part combination: the herbal note of licorice root, the sweetness of chocolate, and the cool sharpness of mint. The mint in Nice Mint by Haupt Lakrits rounds the salmiak edge and adds a clean finish. This is the most layered and complex piece in the Haupt Lakrits range in terms of the number of distinct flavor signals it delivers.
9. Gingerbread Chocolate Licorice
Naughty Ginger wraps Swedish black licorice in milk chocolate with a crispy gingerbread shell, adding the warm spice of ginger to the salmiak-chocolate-licorice combination. The gingerbread adds texture as well as flavor: the crispy coating breaks differently than a pure chocolate shell, and the ginger note lingers through the finish.
10. Hot Chili Licorice
The most unusual type in the Haupt Lakrits range: Swedish black licorice with Carolina Reaper chili incorporated into the recipe. Hot Swedish Bastards combines the mineral intensity of salmiak with the sustained heat of the world's hottest pepper (Scoville peak above 2 million SHU). The salmiak and capsaicin interact to amplify the heat perception. This is the type most associated with the extreme food community and the one most likely to generate a reaction. Read the full story in Hot Swedish Bastards: Carolina Reaper Meets Licorice.
Where to Start
New to Swedish licorice: types 1 (mild sweet) or 5 (milk chocolate) are the right entry points. Both use real licorice root without extreme salmiak and introduce the genuine flavor without challenging your tolerance.
Experienced with black licorice: types 2, 3, or 6 (medium to strong salmiak, or dark chocolate) will show you what the Swedish tradition adds to what you already know.
Adventurous: types 4 (world's saltiest) or 10 (Carolina Reaper) are the frontier. Be prepared for a genuine sensory experience.
Browse the full range at the Haupt Lakrits licorice collection. For a guide to choosing based on your palate, see Swedish Candy Online USA: The Complete Buyer's Guide. For the full story of Swedish black licorice as a category, see Swedish Black Licorice: The Complete Guide.