Turkish Pepper
Encyclopedia
Tyrkisk Peber is a strong liquorice candy
flavored with ammonium chloride
(salmiakki
) and pepper
, made by the Finnish
company Fazer
and popular in the country. Tyrkisk Peber was originally invented by Per Fjelsten, his wife's name was Elly, therefore the company name Perelly, in 1976 and made by the Danish
company Perelly, which was taken over by Fazer.
The basic variant is a large, hollow round shell both coated and filled with salmiakki
powder. It is sold in dark blue bags. The Tyrkisk Peber product family has later expanded to include the "Hot & Sour" (a milder variant of the traditional design, produced in four different flavours) and "Bonfire" (soft, much milder candies) bagged variants, as well as lollipops and filled licorice. There has also been a chili flavored version and a strongly licorice-flavored version with less of the ammonium chloride and peppercorn flavoring, but these have since been discontinued. The licorice-flavored variant can still be found as one of the flavors in the “Hot & Sour” bags, though. Tyrkisk Peber ice cream is sold by Hjem-IS/Kotijäätelö
in Norway and Finland.
It no doubt adds to their popularity that Tyrkisk Peber is sometimes used to make the Finnish cocktail
salmiakkikoskenkorva and similar Danish, Norwegian and Swedish cocktails. When Perelly manufactured Tyrkisk Peber, it was also available as powder. The powder was often used to make the cocktail, which in Denmark is known as sorte svin, små grå, or hot shot, in Sweden as lakritsshot, and in Norway as tyrker, små grå, or lakrisshot.
Tyrkisk Peber is hygroscopic, and if left in an unsealed bag it will absorb water from the air and stick together after a few days. Norway also has several different versions of this candy, including Pulverpadder, Rustne Spiker and Speider-Hagl.
Candy
Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
flavored with ammonium chloride
Ammonium chloride
Ammonium chloride NH4Cl is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4Cl. It is a white crystalline salt that is highly soluble in water. Solutions of ammonium chloride are mildly acidic. Sal ammoniac is a name of natural, mineralogical form of ammonium chloride...
(salmiakki
Salmiakki
Salty liquorice, also known as salmiak or salmiakki is a variety of liquorice flavoured with ammonium chloride, common in Netherlands, Nordic Countries, Baltic States and Northern Germany. Ammonium chloride gives salty liquorice an astringent, salty taste , which has been described as...
) and pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
, made by the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
company Fazer
Fazer
Fazer is one of the largest corporations in the Finnish food industry.The company was originally founded by Karl Fazer in 1891, as a "French-Russian conditory" in central Helsinki...
and popular in the country. Tyrkisk Peber was originally invented by Per Fjelsten, his wife's name was Elly, therefore the company name Perelly, in 1976 and made by the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
company Perelly, which was taken over by Fazer.
The basic variant is a large, hollow round shell both coated and filled with salmiakki
Salmiakki
Salty liquorice, also known as salmiak or salmiakki is a variety of liquorice flavoured with ammonium chloride, common in Netherlands, Nordic Countries, Baltic States and Northern Germany. Ammonium chloride gives salty liquorice an astringent, salty taste , which has been described as...
powder. It is sold in dark blue bags. The Tyrkisk Peber product family has later expanded to include the "Hot & Sour" (a milder variant of the traditional design, produced in four different flavours) and "Bonfire" (soft, much milder candies) bagged variants, as well as lollipops and filled licorice. There has also been a chili flavored version and a strongly licorice-flavored version with less of the ammonium chloride and peppercorn flavoring, but these have since been discontinued. The licorice-flavored variant can still be found as one of the flavors in the “Hot & Sour” bags, though. Tyrkisk Peber ice cream is sold by Hjem-IS/Kotijäätelö
Hjem-IS
Hjem-IS , Hemglass or Kotijäätelö , all meaning "Home Ice Cream", is a Northern European brand of ice cream. It is known for its distribution system, being delivered to people's homes by its light blue ice cream vans and selling ice creams by the box, in contrast to ice cream vans other places in...
in Norway and Finland.
It no doubt adds to their popularity that Tyrkisk Peber is sometimes used to make the Finnish cocktail
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
salmiakkikoskenkorva and similar Danish, Norwegian and Swedish cocktails. When Perelly manufactured Tyrkisk Peber, it was also available as powder. The powder was often used to make the cocktail, which in Denmark is known as sorte svin, små grå, or hot shot, in Sweden as lakritsshot, and in Norway as tyrker, små grå, or lakrisshot.
Tyrkisk Peber is hygroscopic, and if left in an unsealed bag it will absorb water from the air and stick together after a few days. Norway also has several different versions of this candy, including Pulverpadder, Rustne Spiker and Speider-Hagl.