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GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in OpenLab2009.
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« What Helsinki Looks Like at 0330 in the Morning | Main | Carnivalia »
Topic Categories: Helsinki, Finland • Travel
Posted on: July 3, 2009 4:10 AM, by "GrrlScientist"
tags: travel, Helsinki, Finland, licorice
While my fellow Americans slept, I was watching birds from my host's balcony, and nibbling on the most delightfully naughty Finnish breakfast consisting of licorice and chocolate. Just thought you all might wish to know what you are missing.
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Comments
Among some of us there is a disagreement that approaches in fervor a religious stance, whether it is the salmiakki diamonds by Fazer or those by Halva which are the "true ones". Myself, I swear by the traditional pharmacy formulation.
Posted by: Juuro | July 3, 2009 5:39 AM
Waaaah ... diabetes prevents me from trying out those goodies. :{~
Well, I can't complain - salmon, cheese, and freshly baked bread for breakfast is just as good. I never did see pickled herrings though - maybe next time.
At least now I know what salmiakki is so I won't ask for licorice thinking it was salmon.
Posted by: MadScientist | July 3, 2009 5:43 AM
My apologies, MadS. I seem again to be displaying my talent for misleading people. Licorice is "lakritsa" (or "lakritsi") whereas "salmiakki" is, strictly speaking, ammonium chloride, and loosely speaking, licorice-resembling goodie where chief flavoring is ammonium chloride.
Long ago I could even buy food-grade pure ammonium chloride to tip my finger in and lick...
Posted by: Juuro | July 3, 2009 5:50 AM
i have discovered that some forms of salmiakki lakritsi is a bit .. salty .. for my tastes, but other forms are just fine. but i've not had halva lakritsi before, although i might have eaten it when a child and forgotten this. (i do remember eating salmiakki as a kid).
Posted by: "GrrlScientist" | July 3, 2009 7:31 AM
I remember when we made ammonium chloride ourselves in 8th grade chemistry. :)
And Grrl, it's supposed to be salty. Not too much, though, it does need a bit of sweetness as well (hence the combination with licorice). One of my favourites is Lakrisal, a compressed powder lozenge type of thing. Makes my mouth water just thinking about them... shame I ate the last of my stash a few weeks back.
Another favourite, and more towards the licorice symbiont, is Brunberg's Salmiakkilakritsi. Dunno if someone in Helsinki sells it (probably does), but their factory is in Porvoo. They also do a rather tasty non-salmiakki version.
Posted by: InkRose | July 3, 2009 12:55 PM
Thanks for the explanation Juuro. Ammonium chloride is one of those chemicals I would never have thought of tasting. I guess it depends what you grow up with. Everyone has salt these days, and I've had noodles and eggs from China which have ammonia in them.
Posted by: MadScientist | July 3, 2009 7:07 PM