Liquorice roots

If you have ever been to Sweden you know that we love our candy. There are big shops selling nothing but candy; wall-to-wall pick'n'mix. It’s a candy-lover’s dream-come-true and a dieter’s worst nightmare.

We are particularly fond of liquorice and tastes vary from those who prefer the (in my opinion) inedible pepper-flavoured stuff, to those who like it salty. But whatever your taste buds prefer, most Swedes would find it difficult to turn down a handful or two of the nice and easygoing sweet variety, and it's within this category that my favourites can be found - liquorice boats.

As a child I would only be allowed to spend a portion on my weekly candy allowance on liquorice-flavoured candy, as there were some nasty rumours doing the rounds in the mid 70s warning parents that over-consumption could lead to all sorts of dreadful conditions, the main one being high blood pressure. But once I was in charge of my own finances I gladly put my life on the line and regularly headed to the nearest pick'n'mix emporium to stock up. And my health didn't suffer. If anything, my blood pressure has always been slightly too low, so one could argue that I should eat liquorice boats medicinally.

So for years I happily gorged myself on giant quantities of my favourite nautical-themed treats, and the sessions had a tendency to get particularly debauched once I left Sweden and only had intermittent access.

Unfortunately my ability to digest and metabolise the wheat-heavy little boats has taken a beating over the years, and now I have to be careful not to eat too many or else I’ll feel dreadful. For a long time. Wheat simply doesn't agree with me any more.

But like the smell of lilacs, the taste of liquorice has a powerful hold on me, and whenever I visit Sweden I give in to temptation at least once, and buy slightly too much and then proceed to eat them slightly too fast. But it's usually worth it.

Photo from www.aroma.se