I rather be destroyed by a comment then to be obese and ruled by an orange deranged criminal convicted sex offender clown.
Jokes on you, some of have the unfortunate luck of getting to experience both
Coming from Germany, I can confirm that the objectively correct level of sweetness is what they sell over there. America/UK are too sweet (obviously!). Japan is not sweet enough (duh!).
In other news, sweetness, just like spicyness, seems to be acquired taste and once you got brainsugared by one country’s Big Sweets you never come back.
Age plays a part. I don’t each much sweets as an adult in the US because they are usually cloying. I’d rather have some fruit. It was the opposite when I was a child.
I had some mild sweet Oreos from Korea recently, and I prefer them to normal ones, for instance.
Not sure how old you are, but the sweets may have a comeback later in life. AFAIK, the sweet taste receptors on the tongue are the last to deteriorate at old age, so all non-sweet food will start tasting more and more bland. Thus all the cake parties for the elderly.
At least that is what I half-remember from my studies, grateful for any corrections.
Having problems with sugar is not subjective
I prefer Nordic and Icelandic candy. Ammonium chloride covered black licorice is better than sugar coated high-fructose corn syrup.
Those are incidentally some of the happiest nations in the world. Depression is hardly an export.
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2018/03/these-are-the-happiest-countries-in-the-world/
Duh, they don’t keep the depression for domestic distribution - it’s exported.
Ammonium chloride covered black licorice is better than sugar coated high-fructose corn syrup.
Salty licorice is so delicious. Last time I hit up the international store I found smoked salted licorice and it basically turbo crack to me. The only reason I haven’t rushed back and cleared the shelf is it’s like $10 a 120 g bag.
The Finns make a salty licorice liqueur!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmiakki_Koskenkorva
I have to try it someday.
I love describing salty licorice to other Americans too. “So you know black licorice? Imagine it also being really salty and with a large hint of ammonia.” Their looks of revulsion are priceless.
That liqueur sounds interesting. I think I have an affinity for things that sound wonky to most people I know. Petrochemical smells in Islay scotch? Fantastic. The funky hot garbage/burnt electronics of pot still Jamaican rum? Awesome. The sensation of making out with a spruce tree some gins have? Delicious.
I think it’s the very definition of exported depression. But I also think I’d love it.
I don’t know if we see the same thing, but recently I got a small bag of salty black licorice from ikea, out of surprise that it’s really a thing, not just a TikTok challenge. I like black licorice, everyone like salt: maybe there’s some synergy like with chocolate and bacon? How bad can it be? So disgusting.
My father’s best friend was Dutch and he introduced me to their version, which they call Dubbel Zout. It’s super salty (dubbel zout means ‘double salt’) and I cannot get enough of it.
But then I’m one of the few Americans who seems to love black licorice and hate the red variety.
Having been an immigrant in The Netherlands, lets just say that their licorice is an acquired taste (which I myself never did, so congrats for liking that stuff).
I don’t think he gave me a piece expecting me to hate it, but he was surprised how much I loved it. I think I ate his entire supply while our trip to London (where he lived) lasted.
Sounds great! Never had Dubbel Zout, but I’ll keep my eye out for it.
Oh, and I totally agree that black is better than red licorice.
I love licorice too, the Panda one here in the US is very good. It’s polarizing, I don’t know so many people who like it but they all really like it, and it seems independent from the other flavors they like, some of my least adventurous eaters like it, and some of those with very broad plates don’t like it.
Helps to have good social programs.
To add more evidence: Japan is not in the list and people here find licorice disgusting. You cannot find it anywhere except at ikea which is far away from here. And even there they only have one type which is okayish at best. PLZ SEND HELP!
Sweden here. If the candy isn’t trying to destroy your mouth, it’s no good.
Sweden: salt sweets, breakfast caviar, …
Denmark: Liquorice that will make you want to rinse with Vegemite.
Had to look up vegemite, thought it was like thermite.
Thank goodness for the scribbles, otherwise I might have learned who wrote this thing I liked and we can’t have that.
Does “Europe” include “UK” (I mean not geographically but in terms of candy sweetness)?
I had coworker bringing some sweets from visit in UK and those felt extremely sweet to me. I grew up in Europe but live in US, and it felt sweeter than US candies.
I don’t know about the UK, but when I notice other candy from other countries is less sweet than the US, it’s not a direct comparison. They’re usually different types of treats, and my reaction is : wow you can make a candy out of something other than sugar or corn syrup. Maybe it’s dairy based with actual dairy, or nut based with actual nuts, but it can make an excellent candy even without the buckets of sugar
I don’t know about candy but when I follow a bakery recipe from an American source I always cut the sugar amount in half and it still ends up a little too sweet for my taste.
I’m am American baker and I know this is anecdotal but I’ve always cut sugar in half (or more) and I have nothing but rave reviews. Someone just paid me $100 for a cake. And I’m a hobbyist.
I think that most people here just don’t know better, have never tried it any other way. And when you show them how it can be… they fall in love.
ETA: from recipes I get elsewhere. Most of my repipes are my own at this point.
