Salmiakki is a Finnish salty licorice candy flavored with ammonium chloride.
Ammonium chloride gives the candy its characteristic salty, sharp, and slightly bitter taste. It is added to licorice mixtures along with sugar, starch or flour, and licorice extract. The flavor is particularly popular in Finland and throughout the Nordic countries.
Salmiakki is available in many forms, including pastilles, lozenges, chocolate-covered pieces, and soft chews. Some products are mild, while others contain enough ammonium chloride to produce an intense taste unfamiliar to people outside northern Europe.
The terms salty licorice and salmiakki are closely related but not always interchangeable. Salmiakki specifically refers to the ammonium-chloride flavor tradition, while salty licorice can be used more broadly for similar candies.