Opal gem of Iceland

So we're house-sitting for my in-laws and of course get to poking around their cupboards for treats. Lo and behold, this bold little box presents itself. It's from Iceland!

I shake it and hear the muffled rattle of pastilles in cardboard. My mouth starts watering. I tear into it, see the black Opal buttons inside and promptly pop one in my mouth. OMG! It's the real deal! What is it doing here? Who cares!

They were mild yet distinctly salty candies. Great texture, neither too hard nor too soft. And such an unlikely find, which I think made them taste even better.

Over half the box was gone before I managed to stop myself and stash it back where we found it. Lord knows I wanted to take them all and pretend we'd never seen them, but manners prevailed.

Found out later they were a gift from an Icelandic friend and not much loved by my in-laws. I should have taken them; they probably threw the rest out. It breaks my heart to think about it.

But isn't the packaging great? Here's a bit more on the design and company motto, which apparently translates as "make things better, livelier and happier." That day, it certainly did.

delicious and morbid Norwegian skull licorice

"The more evil-looking, the better," was the guideline I gave S. before she left on her Scandinavian vacation. Of course I needed her to bring me some salt licorice, but I knew that the choices might be overwhelming.

But then I remembered a trick I'd used myself in foreign candy stores for sussing out the strongest salt flavors. I told her look for evil packaging or shapes: bats, vampires, witches, devils, skulls etc... especially skulls. Evil is a good sign that the licorice will be salty, especially in Scandinavia.

And it worked! Don't let the sugary-looking coating fool you, that is a delicious, tongue-watering sal-ammoniac dusting on that over-sized skull S. found in Norway. The licorice part is quite soft and gummy and sweet. Super easy to eat and such a lovely contemplation of mortality. Highly recommended.