Chef Joost
Bokkenpootjestaart
Goat-hoof biscuits made into a whole taart: almond meringue, chocolate, advocaat, and cream, the Dutch bakery counter quietly becoming a dinner-party secret.
Culinary Explorer
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Zoute Drop (Salmiak)
Created by
The little black candy that divides the table, where zoethout, licorice root, meets salmiak, ammonium chloride, and Dutch children learn that sweet can bite back.
Desserts
Dutch
Make Ahead
Budget Friendly
Comfort Food
20 min
Active Time
15 min cook•8 hr 35 min total
YieldAbout 60 small pieces
The Dutch do not so much eat zoute drop as confess themselves with it. Offer a bowl to visitors and the room sorts itself at once: the Dutch hand reaches in, the foreign hand hesitates, and someone makes the face of a person betrayed by candy. But let me tell you a secret. That face is part of the pleasure.
The name already tells you the argument. Zoute drop means salty licorice, though the salt is not kitchen salt doing ordinary kitchen work. Salmiak is ammonium chloride, a sharp mineral salt once sold through apothecaries, and in the Netherlands it found its way into the candy tin with the confidence only a small country can have in a very strong opinion. Drop itself comes from zoethout, licorice root, the sweet root, boiled and concentrated until it turns black and medicinal and strangely tender. History and cookery, they cannot be separated, not even in a sweet shop.
In my grandmother's second notebook there is no recipe for drop, only a note beside a shopping list: voor onderweg, for the road. That is where drop belongs: in coat pockets, glove compartments, school bags, the little paper bag passed between adults who say they are taking only one and then do not. Homemade drop will never be quite like the polished factory pieces, and that is all right. We are making the kitchen version: dark, chewy, salty enough to make you pay attention, simple enough to trust. Hou het altijd simpel, but buy the salmiak carefully. Food-grade only. The old apothecary bite is welcome; the wrong chemical is not.
Dutch drop grew from the older European medicinal use of licorice root, which apothecaries sold for coughs and sore throats long before it became everyday confectionery. Salmiak, ammonium chloride, entered Northern European candy traditions through the pharmacy as well, and by the nineteenth and twentieth centuries salted licorice had become especially beloved in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and parts of northern Germany. The Netherlands now has one of the highest per-capita licorice consumptions in the world, and zoute drop remains a national taste learned young rather than a seasonal sweet.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
cold water
Quantity
120ml
divided
powdered gelatin
Quantity
20g
dark molasses or keukenstroop
Quantity
80g
dark brown sugar
Quantity
120g
licorice root powder
Quantity
40g
very finely ground
food-grade ammonium chloride (salmiak)
Quantity
10g
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
unsalted butter
Quantity
15g
plus more for the pan
neutral oil
Quantity
1 teaspoon
for the knife
potato starch or cornstarch
Quantity
1 tablespoon
for dusting
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| cold waterdivided | 120ml |
| powdered gelatin | 20g |
| dark molasses or keukenstroop | 80g |
| dark brown sugar | 120g |
| licorice root powdervery finely ground | 40g |
| food-grade ammonium chloride (salmiak) | 10g |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| unsalted butterplus more for the pan | 15g |
| neutral oilfor the knife | 1 teaspoon |
| potato starch or cornstarchfor dusting | 1 tablespoon |
Equipment Needed
- •Small heavy saucepan
- •Whisk
- •Small loaf tin or 15cm square pan
- •Baking paper
- •Sharp knife
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the pan
Butter a small loaf tin or square 15cm pan and line it with baking paper, leaving two long edges to lift the candy out later. Dust the paper very lightly with potato starch or cornstarch. Drop sticks with the loyalty of family, so give yourself the gift of escape before you begin.
- 2
Bloom the gelatin
Put 60ml of the cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over it. Let it stand for ten minutes until swollen and dull-looking. This quiet pause is what gives the finished drop its chew rather than a rubbery snap.
- 3
Cook the syrup
In a small heavy pan, combine the remaining 60ml water, molasses, brown sugar, licorice powder, salmiak, and sea salt. Warm over low heat, whisking until smooth, then raise the heat just enough to bring it to a steady bubble. Cook for five to seven minutes, stirring often, until the mixture looks glossy, black, and thick enough to leave a brief trail when the spoon crosses the bottom.
- 4
Add the gelatin
Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the bloomed gelatin and butter until completely melted. Do not boil it after the gelatin goes in; heat has already done its work, and now you want a clean set. Taste a tiny cooled dot if you must. It should be sweet first, then salty, then sharply salmiak at the back of the tongue.
Use only food-grade ammonium chloride sold for confectionery. Salmiak is powerful, and more is not braver; too much turns the candy harsh and unpleasant. - 5
Pour and set
Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a lightly oiled spatula. Let it cool at room temperature for one hour, then refrigerate for at least seven hours, or overnight. The rest matters; fresh drop tastes loud and uneven, while rested drop settles into its proper dark chew.
- 6
Cut the pieces
Lift the slab from the pan and dust both sides very lightly with potato starch. Oil a sharp knife and cut the slab into small squares or diamonds. Wipe and oil the knife when it begins to drag. Toss the pieces with the barest breath of starch, enough to stop sticking, not enough to make them look dusty.
Chef Tips
- •Food-grade salmiak is not optional. Buy ammonium chloride specifically labelled for confectionery use, and keep it clearly marked in the cupboard.
- •Start with 8g salmiak if you are feeding the uninitiated. At 10g the candy tastes properly Dutch; at 12g you are entering the territory where relatives begin to judge one another.
- •Licorice root powder varies wildly. The best is very fine, dark, and fragrant, not woody or dusty. If yours is coarse, sift it before cooking or the candy will feel gritty.
- •Keep the pieces small. Zoute drop is a little argument, not a slice of cake.
Advance Preparation
- •Best made at least one day ahead; the salmiak sharpness rounds out after a night in the refrigerator.
- •Keeps two weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator, separated with small pieces of baking paper if the room is warm.
- •Bring to room temperature for ten minutes before serving if you want a softer chew.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 6g)
Calories
15 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
1 mg
Sodium
25 mg
Total Carbohydrates
4 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
0 g
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