• Dennis (unregistered)

    Apparently, based on the brand name on a couple of the packages, salmiak is an aphrodisiac.

    From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

    must \must, musth \musth(m[u^]st), a. [Hind. mast intoxicated, ruttish, fr. Skr. matta, p.p. of mad to rejoice, intoxicate.] (Zool.) Being in a condition of dangerous frenzy, usually connected with sexual excitement; -- said of adult male elephants which become so at irregular intervals, typicaly due to increased testosterone levels. -- n. (a) The condition of frenzy. (b) An elephant in must. [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

  • Big G (unregistered) in reply to the beholder
    the beholder:
    HopelessIntern:
    Don't eat alot at once, especially on an empty stomach. Salmiak, in essence, is ammonium chloride and a diahhretic. A friend of mine (oddly, an American..) loved it, ate too much, and spent painful hours on the toilet.
    It sounds soooo tasty. Would it go well with a cup of cyanide?

    Here's a cup for you: http://www.poisonmugs.co.uk/

  • Anonymous (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    Anonymous:
    Anon:
    HopelessIntern:
    Anonymous:
    HopelessIntern:
    Never did I say violently ill. You get diahhrea. Alcohol is an example of something that can make you violently ill.

    Secondly, "backwoods shack of a country"? Ok dude. Lets compare something like average internet speed with Norway and your country. Then we will see who turns out looking like a hillbilly.

    The Yanks can hardly talk, they're not even allowed Kinder Eggs. In the US it's illegal to put non-edible products inside a foodstuff for the precise reason that the fat bastards shovel it down their throats so quickly that each and every one of them would choke to death. Chew your damn food, neanderthals.

    LOL I did hear this as a rumour once (and it is true, you cannot find kindereggs there, I know because I smuggled alot in for people...) That is a truly amusing fact.

    Rubbish, of course you can find Kindereggs here. They are not very common, but try some of the more specialty candy or international food stores.

    I never said you couldn't physcially get them, I merely pointed out that they are offically banned as per the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938. I'm not making this up you know - let's be honest, you couldn't make up something this bloody stupid!

    You stay special, Yanks!

    Yeah, don't put non-edible things in food. What were they thinking?

    Funny how the entire rest of the world manage to cope with the non-edible portion of the product without requiring federal legislation to protect them. What I don't understand is this - if you guys can't handle "non-edible" elements to your food, how the hell do you stop yourselves from eating the packaging?

  • (cs) in reply to Marvin the Martian
    Marvin the Martian:
    I applaud the mission of foisting the noxious sweets onto unsuspecting (soon to be ex-)acquaintances.

    My supervisor had a reputation of passing on such bags while listening to presentations, being oblivious to the retching mass around him --- people take one, pass bag on, then try to eat them; their retching too late to warn the next victim.

    I think you need a Lutheran mindset to fully appreciate them [I can't]; this explains why they're eaten in both Holland and Scandinavia.

    The Dutch are mostly Calvinists and Roman-Catholics, not Lutherans. And traditionally they consume peppermints.

  • Elmo (unregistered)

    Achtung!

    I work far away from home, meaning Finland, on a small island in Thailand. Fortunately there are people who come over here every now and then, so they can bring us some salmiak and rye bread. You my dear sir, are a lucky man with all that candy...

  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    Funny how the entire rest of the world manage to cope with the non-edible portion of the product without requiring federal legislation to protect them. What I don't understand is this - if you guys can't handle "non-edible" elements to your food, how the hell do you stop yourselves from eating the packaging?

    So you'd be okay with say, a candy filled with gravel? And there's a difference between inside and outside or are you too thick to understand that distinction? Bare in mind that the Germans (and nobody loves Kinder Eggs more than the Germans) nearly banned them a couple of years ago: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/08/germany.foodanddrink If they didn't already exist, do you seriously think somebody could introduce Kinder Eggs today and not see the EU have a cow about it? This is a real instance of the US being ahead of the curve (and the legislation greatly pre-dates the introduction of Kinder Eggs).

  • RBoy (unregistered) in reply to aagg

    Yes, but you rather dumbly have to remove the pen holder side of things. Once you've done that, it becomes the jacob's ladder of calculators.

  • Chris (unregistered)
    hands-free appliance which actually needs to be held in hand to operate
    I think you use both hands to shove it as far inside yourself as it will go, then one hand to switch it on, then no hands as you cling to your pillow.

    But why the data cable? Are we digitizing our agonies / ecstasies now? Oh I get it. This lets you have cybersex when your partner is 1000 miles away.

  • (cs) in reply to Anon

    I'll be happy to take any of the salmiak you can't otherwise get rid of.

    -- another American who likes salmiak

  • Anonymous2 (unregistered) in reply to Anon

    Point! Anon!

  • ping floyd (unregistered)

    What is it with Zimbabwe money? Do they need such large bills because they are very bad coders and it's more convenient to buy bad code offsets with the 10 trillion dollar bills?

  • O Bamma (unregistered) in reply to ping floyd
    ping floyd:
    What is it with Zimbabwe money? Do they need such large bills because they are very bad coders and it's more convenient to buy bad code offsets with the 10 trillion dollar bills?
    They voted for "hope" and "change" and the new government printed tons of free money and gave it away, revealing once again that the true value of paper money is as kindling for your fireplace.
  • sino (unregistered) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    HopelessIntern:
    Never did I say violently ill. You get diahhrea. Alcohol is an example of something that can make you violently ill.

    Secondly, "backwoods shack of a country"? Ok dude. Lets compare something like average internet speed with Norway and your country. Then we will see who turns out looking like a hillbilly.

    The Yanks can hardly talk, they're not even allowed Kinder Eggs. In the US it's illegal to put non-edible products inside a foodstuff for the precise reason that the fat bastards shovel it down their throats so quickly that each and every one of them would choke to death. Chew your damn food, neanderthals.
    Get your damn teeth fixed, before you complain about those as can eat, my dear ex-imperial SUBJECT.

  • enim (unregistered) in reply to HopelessIntern
    HopelessIntern:
    Anonymous:
    HopelessIntern:
    Never did I say violently ill. You get diahhrea. Alcohol is an example of something that can make you violently ill.

    Secondly, "backwoods shack of a country"? Ok dude. Lets compare something like average internet speed with Norway and your country. Then we will see who turns out looking like a hillbilly.

    The Yanks can hardly talk, they're not even allowed Kinder Eggs. In the US it's illegal to put non-edible products inside a foodstuff for the precise reason that the fat bastards shovel it down their throats so quickly that each and every one of them would choke to death. Chew your damn food, neanderthals.

    LOL I did hear this as a rumour once (and it is true, you cannot find kindereggs there, I know because I smuggled alot in for people...) That is a truly amusing fact.

    Nope, you're wrong.

    There are a minimum of eight stores on my commute that carry them. I've seen them in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Charleston, and Miami.

    So, while what you mention is amusing, it qualifies more as a "factoid", than a "fact".

  • aw (unregistered) in reply to Sinobell

    snus comes to mind...

  • Brad (unregistered)

    I'm envious. I've tasted one kind of salmiak in my life, and I liked it. There's absolutely nowhere to get the stuff here in Denver.

  • aw (unregistered) in reply to Brad

    Need to find some salmiakki? Here you go http://www.suomikauppa.fi/index.php?cPath=24_36

  • (cs) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    I give up, what is that "hands-free appliance which actually needs to be held in hand to operate" thing?

    It plugs into a Nokia cell phone (older models) and is considered to be a "hands-free device" in the eyes of the law here which says that it's absolutely forbidden to talk on the phone while driving unless some kind of hands free device is used.

    I think that I might know a product that contains some salmiak but doesn't taste as strong as the all-salmiak thingys. Perhaps I should send some...

  • Phill (unregistered)

    The tooth isn't from a deer, maybe a wild boar?

  • (cs) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    Anonymous:
    You stay special, Yanks!

    Yeah, don't put non-edible things in food. What were they thinking?

    Anybody complaining that Americans are stupid because we don't put toys in our food is just fucking retarded. Honestly, is that really the highlight of your life: Finding a stupid 25 cent toy in a piece of chocolate? Wow, hear that Americans? We're SO MISSING OUT ON THE 25 CENT TOYS!!! Oh, and apparently, to be OT, on snacks that give you the shits. Awsome, if I want to spend 2 hours on the shitter I'll just eat some Taco Bell thank you very much.

  • (cs) in reply to HopelessIntern
    HopelessIntern:
    I just dont understand anglos' hatred of salmiak. As a norwegian, I love the stuff. Some of the ones there like Tyrkisk Peber (danish, mind, not finnish) and Lakrisal is stuff I grew up with. I used to binge on the stuff, it is also good to dissolve in vodka to make a tasty drink called "turkish vodka" "black vodka" "koskenkorva" or simply "turk" loosely translated.) Don't eat alot at once, especially on an empty stomach. Salmiak, in essence, is ammonium chloride and a diahhretic. A friend of mine (oddly, an American..) loved it, ate too much, and spent painful hours on the toilet.

    I sure hope Alex knew that. Otherwise, we might be getting a lot of Classic WTFs for a while!

  • the beholder (unregistered) in reply to Big G
    Big G:
    the beholder:
    It sounds soooo tasty. Would it go well with a cup of cyanide?

    Here's a cup for you: http://www.poisonmugs.co.uk/

    Those mugs are awesome. Thanks for the tip.

  • AnonJr (unregistered) in reply to Santa
    Santa:
    Gotta love that dark blue Tyrkisk Peber(not the "firewood" ones)!

    Tip: Crush them, put them in a bottle of vodka, put the bottle in the dishwasher so all of the peber melts, put the bottle in the fridge and finally drink when it's nice and cold!

    Enough vodka will make (almost) anything worthwhile...

  • AnonJr (unregistered) in reply to Phill
    Phill:
    The tooth isn't from a deer, maybe a wild boar?

    Was the latter a hint?

    CAPTCHA: enim - didn't he retire?

  • (cs) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    Anon:
    Anonymous:
    Anon:
    HopelessIntern:
    Anonymous:
    HopelessIntern:
    Never did I say violently ill. You get diahhrea. Alcohol is an example of something that can make you violently ill.

    Secondly, "backwoods shack of a country"? Ok dude. Lets compare something like average internet speed with Norway and your country. Then we will see who turns out looking like a hillbilly.

    The Yanks can hardly talk, they're not even allowed Kinder Eggs. In the US it's illegal to put non-edible products inside a foodstuff for the precise reason that the fat bastards shovel it down their throats so quickly that each and every one of them would choke to death. Chew your damn food, neanderthals.

    LOL I did hear this as a rumour once (and it is true, you cannot find kindereggs there, I know because I smuggled alot in for people...) That is a truly amusing fact.

    Rubbish, of course you can find Kindereggs here. They are not very common, but try some of the more specialty candy or international food stores.

    I never said you couldn't physcially get them, I merely pointed out that they are offically banned as per the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938. I'm not making this up you know - let's be honest, you couldn't make up something this bloody stupid!

    You stay special, Yanks!

    Yeah, don't put non-edible things in food. What were they thinking?

    Funny how the entire rest of the world manage to cope with the non-edible portion of the product without requiring federal legislation to protect them. What I don't understand is this - if you guys can't handle "non-edible" elements to your food, how the hell do you stop yourselves from eating the packaging?
    ummmmm... packaging...{drools}

  • (cs) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    Funny how the entire rest of the world manage to cope with the non-edible portion of the product without requiring federal legislation to protect them. What I don't understand is this - if you guys can't handle "non-edible" elements to your food, how the hell do you stop yourselves from eating the packaging?

    We don't. That's why every package of silica gel in our electronic packaging contains the phrase, "Do not eat."

  • Kos (unregistered)

    Hah, coincidences! It was yesterday when I have tried Salmiak for the first time. Well, to be precise, it was Salmiakki Koskenkorva (a pitch-black liquor), and it tasted so good that it actually managed to suprise me quite nicely. Make sure to try it some time!

  • Trax (unregistered)

    We got plenty of stuff like that in the Netherlands too, including a couple of the things in this collection such as Lakrisal and Tyrkysk Peber (which I also like). But yeah, unless you're constipated, don't eat too much of the stuff since salmiak and licorice act as a mild laxative. ;)

  • ted (unregistered) in reply to Chris
    Chris:
    hands-free appliance which actually needs to be held in hand to operate
    I think you use both hands to shove it as far inside yourself as it will go, then one hand to switch it on, then no hands as you cling to your pillow.

    But why the data cable? Are we digitizing our agonies / ecstasies now? Oh I get it. This lets you have cybersex when your partner is 1000 miles away.

    A whole new meaning of embedded system!

  • ted (unregistered) in reply to JamesQMurphy
    JamesQMurphy:
    Anonymous:
    Funny how the entire rest of the world manage to cope with the non-edible portion of the product without requiring federal legislation to protect them. What I don't understand is this - if you guys can't handle "non-edible" elements to your food, how the hell do you stop yourselves from eating the packaging?

    We don't. That's why every package of silica gel in our electronic packaging contains the phrase, "Do not eat."

    It burns like hell if you eat it. Better to dump the package into a cup of water and it will start popping out (some several feet into the air).

  • Adriaan (unregistered) in reply to RogerWilco
    RogerWilco:
    The Dutch are mostly Calvinists and Roman-Catholics, not Lutherans. And traditionally they consume peppermints.
    Which is why it was so refreshing to see the R-C church on the Heuvel in Tilburg on display here at TDWTF. The peppermints are to keep you awake through the hour-long sermons in the Calvinist gatherings - and there are three gatherings each Sunday that you're supposed to attend. Which makes an R-C mass seem like a refreshing 45 minute breezer.
  • ATL UK Expat (unregistered) in reply to enim

    Where in ATL can you get Kinder Eggs? I really need those things.

  • Paul (unregistered) in reply to enim
    enim:
    HopelessIntern:
    Anonymous:
    HopelessIntern:
    Never did I say violently ill. You get diahhrea. Alcohol is an example of something that can make you violently ill.

    Secondly, "backwoods shack of a country"? Ok dude. Lets compare something like average internet speed with Norway and your country. Then we will see who turns out looking like a hillbilly.

    The Yanks can hardly talk, they're not even allowed Kinder Eggs. In the US it's illegal to put non-edible products inside a foodstuff for the precise reason that the fat bastards shovel it down their throats so quickly that each and every one of them would choke to death. Chew your damn food, neanderthals.

    LOL I did hear this as a rumour once (and it is true, you cannot find kindereggs there, I know because I smuggled alot in for people...) That is a truly amusing fact.

    Nope, you're wrong.

    There are a minimum of eight stores on my commute that carry them. I've seen them in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Charleston, and Miami.

    So, while what you mention is amusing, it qualifies more as a "factoid", than a "fact".

    No, really, it is true. Shows that some USA-ians don't know their own laws...

    http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archives/2009_news_releases/dec_2009/12112009_4.xml

  • Wiggly Woo (unregistered) in reply to Paul
    Paul:
    No, really, it is true. Shows that some USA-ians don't know their own laws...

    http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archives/2009_news_releases/dec_2009/12112009_4.xml

    And remember that this country which is so safety conscious that it will ban chocolate with obvious non-edible stuff encased in it (not embedded in it), allows pretty much anyone to carry guns around whenever they want.

    And they don't see what's wrong with that..

    (Note that their 'nothing non-edible inside anything edible' rule also means that British style Easter eggs, eg containing a packet of Cadbury's Buttons, would also be banned, as the Buttons would be in their own (non-edible) packet).

    There is a big difference between banning embedding non-edible stuff (which makes sense) and banning enclosing non-edible stuff (which only makes sense for people who are eating too quickly to pay attention to what they are doing).

  • (cs) in reply to Wiggly Woo
    Wiggly Woo:
    Paul:
    No, really, it is true. Shows that some USA-ians don't know their own laws...

    http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archives/2009_news_releases/dec_2009/12112009_4.xml

    And remember that this country which is so safety conscious that it will ban chocolate with obvious non-edible stuff encased in it (not embedded in it), allows pretty much anyone to carry guns around whenever they want.

    And they don't see what's wrong with that..

    (Note that their 'nothing non-edible inside anything edible' rule also means that British style Easter eggs, eg containing a packet of Cadbury's Buttons, would also be banned, as the Buttons would be in their own (non-edible) packet).

    There is a big difference between banning embedding non-edible stuff (which makes sense) and banning enclosing non-edible stuff (which only makes sense for people who are eating too quickly to pay attention to what they are doing).

    If you really want to see the effects of safety conscious politicians, visit a McDonald's in Bloomberg's NYC.

    Oh, and food safety and guns safety are two completely different types of safeties. It's like apples and oranges.

  • (cs)

    I keep forgetting to send you random crap, but when I do, I'd be glad to take some of that delicious salmiak off your hands, along with a sticker.

  • (cs) in reply to bob171123
    bob171123:
    If you really want to see the effects of safety conscious politicians, visit a McDonald's in Bloomberg's NYC.
    Given that most people here aren't about to head to NYC, even for the chance to figure out WTF you actually meant by that statement, would you care to explain which parts of safety culture in those establishments is so deserving of ridicule? Are the trays labelled as being not edible or something?
    bob171123:
    Oh, and food safety and guns safety are two completely different types of safeties. It's like apples and oranges.
    Yeah, don't point loaded papayas at people you don't intend to kill. Oh, wait; what's in that tropical fruit salad...?
  • (cs) in reply to Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward:
    Alex, that's actually a pretty good photo of the salmiak (wooden table and all). Any chance you could release it on a Creative Commons license so it can go on the Wikipedia article?

    -- Note from Alex: consider it released to Creative Commons! That's all I have to do, right?

    No, because there are several Creative Commons licenses. You need to choose one. I think Wikipedia wants the Attribution-ShareAlike version.

  • (cs) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    Yeah, don't put non-edible things in food. What were they thinking?

    How do you guys go eating fruits with seeds in them? You can't exactly call the seed of an avocado or mango edible. Are those banned too? I suppose most Americans only eat take-away/processed food so it's probably a moot point.

  • Tuuli Mustasydän (unregistered) in reply to AnonJr
    Santa:
    Tip: Crush them, put them in a bottle of vodka, put the bottle in the dishwasher so all of the peber melts, put the bottle in the fridge and finally drink when it's nice and cold!
    No need for dishwasher; if they're sufficiently crushed, just gently agitate it for a while :)
  • (cs) in reply to alegr
    alegr:
    I want those billion dollar notes. Somebody selling those souvenirs here in US?

    First Alex got the Bad Code Offsets, now The Daily WTF is increasing the value of Zimbabue Dollar more than a trillion times! (Whatever trillion happens to mean for you.)

    When is he going to put an end on climate change?

  • Quirkafleeg (unregistered) in reply to dkf
    dkf:
    Yeah, don't point loaded papayas at people you don't intend to kill. Oh, wait; what's in that tropical fruit salad...?
    Disarmament in progress…?
  • Noone Really (unregistered) in reply to Anonymous

    Packaging not edible??? What are you talking about? If it weren't for the McDonald's wrappers and sacks, where would we get our roughage and fiber?

  • Brent (unregistered) in reply to Mmmm, zoute drop

    Yep, years ago I came back to town after being away for a couple years to find that my friends had discovered salt licorice thanks to a Dane they had befriended in my absence. It wasn't long before they tried to get me to eat some in hopes that I'd react badly. What they'd forgotten is that my mother's side is from the Netherlands (Frisian to be exact), so I'd been eating the stuff since I was a kid.

  • NoOneOfConsequence (unregistered) in reply to ContraCorners

    As an American, I can say with great shame that the truth is you would probably be better off eating the packaging instead of most of what we pass off as "food".

  • Zog of Arrl (unregistered) in reply to HopelessIntern

    Salmiakki rocks! Great stuff! That, sauna, copious amounts of alchohol and 24hrs daylight (in summer), oh, plus the family :-) keeps me in Finland.

  • Not Given (unregistered)

    You make Salmiakki sound almost like bad thing.

    The delightful liquorice must not be slandered.

    And it's the real stuff too, supermarket liquorice is crap.

    Was the salmiakki vodka included?

  • Tore (unregistered)

    I'm a Norwegian. Lakrisal is absolutely delightful, and highly addictive. If the store hadn't closed one minute ago, I probably would've gone out and bought one.

  • Piotrek (unregistered) in reply to HopelessIntern

    I like it too! I'm from Poland and whenever I can I buy tons of salmiak. It's hard to get in Poland. Everybodo I know says, that it's awful - I love it!

  • Piotrek (unregistered) in reply to Danny V

    Yeah... Today you might be able to buy a computer for this and tomorrow - might not be enough to buy a lollipop (check Zimbabwe's inflation rates)

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