Salmiac, salty liquorice ... Salmiakki, it's known by many names. This controversial delicacy is mostly only enjoyed in Nordics and we Finns are the ones who consume it most in the world per capita (just like we do with coffee).
These candies are usually made mixing liquorice with ammonium chloride, sometimes also covered with the same stuff. Even though they usually contain large amounts of sugat like other candies it might be a stretch to call them sweets. The acidic, tannine flavour is nothing like you would imagine from a sweet candy.
There are many varieties of such products available here in Finland. Ranging from just a slight hint of salmiac to the extra strong ones like famous Turkish peber. But while those might be quite extreme experience for someone not used to the taste they are just candies among others for the seasoned consumers.
To get more extreme taste there is one product I have wanted to try out since I first heard of it. A small Swedish craft boutique is claiming to have the worlds strongest salty liquorice - the svensksjävlar (swedish bastards). Their salty liquorice is filled with salmiac creme and topped with pure ammonium chloride powder.
The taste is indeed quite extreme. Nothing I couldn't handle, I actually enjoyed it. But these are definitely not something even I would eat the whole package at once. After just a few pieces I can already feel them rummaging in my stomach.