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Being a minimally observant human comes with some consequences. A number of basic questions come into one’s mind, sometimes unexpectedly. For instance, “What is the meaning of life?” “What, if anything, created our infinite universe?” “Why do Swedes love licorice so much?” We probably need to table answers to the first two questions for other posts, though, as the Swedish licorice one takes obvious priority. Licorice is all over Swedish grocery stores. If you throw a rock in any random one of them, you’ll probably hit something with licorice in it (however, be warned that public rock throwing is generally frowned upon by the Swedes). And, please keep in mind that we’re talking about real licorice here, not the ropey red stuff that tastes of chemical strawberries that is more common in US movie theaters. We’re focusing on the black chewy licorice that tends to polarize Americans: you either love it or hate it. Some have also found it “an acquired taste” like stinky cheese or IPA beer.  Close up of Salta Häxor Even stranger for the American palate, a good bit of Swedish licorice is salty. The salt content can be very mild – essentially a flavor enhancer – but in other candies it can be fairly dominant. There’s one brand, salta häxor (i.e., salty witches), that was probably the most intensely salted licorice ever tasted by man or beast. They look like any other black licorice bits, but the soft purple-black candies were coated in what can only be described as finely powdered salt. When you pop one in your mouth you get a nuclear detonation of salt that is soon followed by the soft sweetness of a very well-executed black licorice. To be honest, at first taste they were a bit off-putting but then became addictive. It was sort of like the experience of tasting a way-too-hot hot sauce and then deciding that you needed to keep putting it on every part of your meal. The description of salta häxor “salt for the wicked” seemed very appropriate…  A bag of "Salt for the Wicked" Interestingly, the salt is a bit different from normal table salt. It’s called ammonium chloride and is, in general, more potent. Ammonium chloride was apparently even mixed with licorice root in earlier times as a medicine for coughs. As a warning, though, too much ammonium chloride can be a bad thing. If can cause high blood pressure and may even have a decalcifying effect on bones. But, in small quantities, it is very popular in Scandinavian treats. But licorice isn’t just limited to candies in Sweden. One of the best things we found there were lakrits dates (i.e., licorice dates). These are normal pitted medjool dates coated with a very fine dusting of licorice powder. Yes, we realize this may sound strange, but you should give them a try. They are even more addictive than regular licorice candies, and probably a lot better for you, too. These things are not just found in Sweden, either. You can buy them in Iceland, too. But back to this all-important question… why do the Swedes love licorice so much. In order to get answers, we found an unlikely source: Scandinavian Vogue magazine. According to their interesting article on the topic, the Swedes and other Scandis had a long tradition of salting food in order to preserve it through those long, cold, and dark winter months that happen when you live so far up north. So, in a sense, the ancestors of current Swedes were no stranger to intensely salted food. Further, the Vogue article states that a Scandinavian staple, pickled herring, also has this strange mixture of salty and sweet. One of us has never tasted pickled herring, and the other finds this description of the preserved fish a bit “off”, so we may need some other opinions to properly sus this out.
Regardless, if you don’t live in Sweden, you can order some lakrits from a number of online sources. You could even make your own lakrits dates. Just get a bunch of fresh, shiny looking medjools and dust them with lakrits powder which you can buy in little jars online. Be careful adding any ammonium chloride, though.
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Should You Visit Bulgaria? Bulgaria is the dark horse tourist destination of Europe. The wine and food are great and there are massive amounts of interesting history to be found scattered within its Balkan borders. Thracian temples, Greek and Roman ruins, waterfalls, and any number of other attractions await your curious eye. If you visit in summer, you might also see fields of sunflowers and the famous Bulgarian roses as you travel around the beautiful countryside. The people are the real draw, though. Not only are they interesting and bright, but many Bulgarians speak English better than Americans. They also have that dark and brutally honest Slavic sense of humor that especially resonates with people who pen blog posts on strange subjects. One of us visits Bulgaria at least once a year for work/fun and, to be frank, shudders with angsty pangs of fear and foreboding at the very thought of telling people about the wonders of Bulgaria. What if it becomes a hot new travel destination? What if its capital of Sofia becomes infested with rowdy English and American tourists? Oh, the horror… But, alas, some experiences are too good to keep to oneself.  Traditional Bulgarian food at a restaurant in Sofia. Sharena Sol For this first of what will be many posts on Bulgaria, we’ll focus on an interesting food item: sharena sol. Translated as “colorful salt” or “patterned salt”, it may look a bit drab at first sight. If you see it in a quaint wooden bowl at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant, you might not even think to try it – or even know how – unless you are dining with a clued in local. Appearances can be deceiving, though. First off, we should discuss the pronunciation. For about a year and a half we incorrectly pronounced it “shah-REENA soul.” Though this rolls off the tongue, it sounds more like the lead singer of a 2nd rate Motown band who may have opened up for The Temptations in 1964 than a world class ingredient. The proper Bulgarian pronunciation is closer to “shah-rah-nah SOL”.  This is the good stuff: sharena sol crafted by the magical hands of Baba Snezhana. So, what is sharena sol? In a nutshell, it is a very clever spice blend. The key ingredients include dried summer savory, paprika, fenugreek, thyme, and salt. These are just the barest of spicey beginnings, though. They will be the most prominent flavors in commercially available versions. However, in order to truly experience sharena sol, you shouldn’t purchase it from Lidl or Billa supermarkets. The true wonder of this ingredient comes when it is has been imbued with the spice secrets known only to Bulgarian babas (i.e., grandmothers). Though we can’t prove this, we are fairly certain that whenever a Bulgarian woman becomes a baba, she is automatically inducted into a society far more secret than the Illuminati or Skull & Bones. After a lengthy and harrowing initiation ritual, she then receives instruction in the arcane art of finding, preparing, and blending earthly ingredients into the celestial spice blend known to us mere mortals as sharena sol. We can only assume that the penalty for revealing these secrets to outsiders is immediate and painful death. This is the only explanation for why it is far easier to march 1000 cats in a straight line than it is to get a baba to reveal her spice recipe. We’ve heard rumors, of course. These were always spoken in furtive whispers and, of course, far away from the unnaturally sensitive ears of any babas. We eventually discovered that it’s possible that oregano, corn flour, honey garlic (a foraged Mediterranean herb), cumin, pepper, parsley, ground pumpkin seeds, and other ingredients could be a part of this baba sorcery. Sadly, we later learned that three young Bulgarian men died in the process of getting us this information. Their bravery will be honored. Always. Има голяма чест в смелата смърт. Tasting Notes: Sharena sol is a veritable taste explosion. Regardless of the blend, and whether it’s homemade or produced in a factory, summer savory is the dominant flavor. If you’ve never had it, savory is very savory. It’s almost like natural monosodium glutamate in the sense that it can perk up any similar flavors. In the commercial blends of sharena sol, you also clearly taste paprika and a good hit of fenugreek. The fenugreek funkiness lets you know you’re eating something more exotic than anything that can be found at your local McDonalds or Subway. The combination is far greater than the sum of its parts. The baba blends are the most powerful and flavorful. We’ve had the pleasure of trying two different batches of sharena sol from an unusually gifted Bulgarian spice sorceress by the name of Baba Snezhana. You could use only ¼ teaspoon of her paranormal blend sprinkled over an entire pizza and literally taste sharena sol in every bite. This is not an exaggeration; it’s easy to overdo it. Fortunately, the homemade versions have far less salt than commercial ones, so they’re healthier for you, too. Culinary Uses: You can use sharena sol to elevate just about any savory dish. Try it on fried eggs, potatoes, French fries, grilled dishes, or anything with a tomato-based sauce. It’s also a nice way to season vinaigrettes that will leave your guests envying your staggeringly creative culinary ability. This stuff is so good and versatile that it is smart to always keep a little container of sharena sol within reach while travelling. You never know when you may need to make bland travel food more exciting. However, the traditional way of using this spice blend may be the best. Therefore, then next time you bake a loaf of bread, try dipping a warm piece in sharena sol. The next morning, you could even sprinkle a pinch over some buttered toast for a tasty breakfast. Warnings: This may be obvious, but please don’t fall for the pretty layered versions of sharena sol sold in Bulgarian gift shops or at airports. Real babas never layer their spices, but always mix them together. The commercial versions are far superior to the tourist versions, too.  Some of the many brands of commercially available sharena sol. Conclusions: In conclusion, if you go to Bulgaria, please don’t ruin it. While you’re there, you should definitely make friends with a baba or someone who is lucky enough to have their own baba. Treat her kindly and ask her if she’ll let you sample some of her secret sharena sol. Just remember not to ask too many questions about what’s in it. After doing so, you may be tempted to take a baba home with you so you can benefit from her many talents. However, you should know that they don’t take kindly to baba-napping. They have a particular set of skills… skills they have acquired over a very long career… skills that make them a nightmare for would-be baba-nappers like you. Getting Sharena Sol If you can’t visit Bulgaria, you can find the commercially prepared sharena sol on amazon or other online outlets.  Fresh summer savory, probably the most important ingredient in sharena sol. |
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