It's candy you grew up with. We have entire racks dedicated to it in the supermarket -- the same sort of space reserved for chocolate in other countries. And once you leave the country, you suddenly realize that no-one else likes it -- it is incredibly hard to find abroad outside of a few pockets in Nordic countries. read more
It is a Dutch habit to butter your bread and then sprinkle chocolate on top. That, too, is something Dutch people notice first when they go abroad, because others do not have that custom. So that is why. NB: "Drop" is a salty licorice flavour found only in the Netherlands, as far as I know. Also: I'm an immigrant here. This is my outsider's perspective. read more
1) The Dutch consume more licorice per year (2000 grams each) than any other country in the world. 2) The Netherlands produces more licorice than any other European country. 3) There are over 80 variations of Dutch licorice. 4) Some variations are flavored with Ammonium Chloride which is also used as cough medicine. read more