A – The Original

A – The Original by Lakrids by Bülow in milk chocolate

A – The Original by Lakrids by Bülow is a soft core of sweet liquorice coated in milk chocolate, rolled in fine liquorice powder on the outside. It is the variety that starts the brand's letter series and the one against which all others are measured.

A – The Original is the first chocolate liquorice from Lakrids by Bülow in Denmark. Matte brown spheres sit in the tin, dusted like truffles and devoid of any shine, and beneath the milk chocolate waits a soft core with the aniseed tone that has defined this series from the very beginning.

First tart, then creamy, finally sweet

The liquorice dust on the outside lands dry and slightly salty on the tongue before anything underneath even begins to melt.

Then the milk chocolate arrives and gathers up the tartness, creamy and calm in tone. Finally, the core gives way, soft and sweet, with that aniseed note that many consider to be the taste of liquorice itself. Tart, creamy, sweet – the sphere works from the outside in, taking its time in the process.

Anyone who only knows liquorice as a black snail from a bag will experience something different here. The core gives way instead of resisting, because it is slowly reduced and remains soft.

Where the aniseed tone really comes from

Liquorice root alone tastes earthy and sweet, and the aniseed note that we associate with liquorice in our minds is not actually brought by the root itself.

It comes from the aniseed oil included in the recipe, which creates that familiar tone. Two plants from two families thus result in the one taste that all of Northern Europe knows as liquorice. In this variety, the additive is used sparingly so that the chocolate is not overwhelmed.

Milk chocolate keeps the root in balance

Liquorice root naturally brings a tart edge that a dark chocolate would only reinforce.

The milk chocolate instead wraps around it like a soft cushion. Its milk fat takes the edge off the root without masking the liquorice tone, and enough cocoa remains so that the sphere does not tip into being purely milky.

Other varieties from Lakrids have an additional coating of gum arabic and wax on the outside, making them shiny. Here, the dust takes over the entire surface, which is why A sits in the store with a more matte finish than any other tin from the brand.

The dust on top is the same raw material as the core, only uncooked and finely ground, thereby creating a bridge from the coating back to the center. For the core, Lakrids uses only the middle part of the liquorice root because that is where the flavor is most concentrated, and they resell the ends rather than throwing them away.

The cooking is done with rice flour instead of wheat, which is why the spheres remain gluten-free and contain no gelatine. Close the tin tightly after each handful, otherwise the dust will absorb moisture and stick to the chocolate.

A goes well with a strong espresso because the roasted notes and liquorice dust pull in the same direction. Those looking for more root and less chocolate afterward should proceed to E – Salmiak, and those who prefer it darker can try F – Dark Sea Salt.

The entire alphabet is available at Lakrids by Bülow, with more liquorice from Scandinavia under Lakritze. The small tin is called small and holds 115 grams, while the medium regular holds 270 grams.