Universal Yums is an international snack subscription box. Every month they send a mix of snacks from one country. (A different country is featured each month.)
This month’s snacks are from China!
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription: Universal Yums
The Cost: $13/month for the Yum Box (6+ snacks) and $25/month for the Yum Yum Box (13+ snacks)
The Products: A selection of unique snacks from a different country each month.
Ships to: US
Check out all of our reviews of Universal Yums!
Every box contains an informational card detailing the featured items. (Note that this is a review of the larger Yum Yum Box.) They also list details and the ingredients of each item on their website.
Golden Time Chocolate Flute Wafers- value $4.99
Chocolate is not popular in China, but Univeral Yums didn’t want to send a box without it. Amazingly (according to the info card), this box of chocolate wafers contains more chocolate than the average Chinese person eats in an entire year!
Cha Cha Wasabi Potato Crispy- value $.98
Huang Fei Hong Spicy Peanuts- $2.50
My husband immediately claimed the peanuts, but he found them to be far too spicy. They seem to have a loyal following online, though. Inside the bag, there are black peppercorns and slices of red chilis. This is certainly not a snack for anyone scared of heat!
The wasabi crackers pack a serious punch too. I enjoyed them, but they are VERY powerful.
Hot & Spicy Rice Crackers- 2 packets
Sugar Glazed Rice Crackers- 2 packets
Amay's Almond Cookies- 4 cookies
I really like rice crackers and enjoyed both varieties Universal Yums included in this month’s box. The Hot & Spicy Crackers were pretty mild (especially when compared to the wasabi crackers and peanuts!) and topped with a sweet glaze. The others were similar, but without the added spicy flavor.
The almond cookies were good too. They tasted like a nutty shortbread.
Blueberry Pie
Black Sesame Crackers
Assorted Crispy Candy- 4 candies
According to Universal Yums, the Edo Blueberry Pie is very hard to find in the US, so I’m glad I was able to try one! It tasted a little like a Fig Newton.
The crispy candy was incredible. I tried the red one, which was flavored with black sesame, and I really loved the unusual crumbly texture. This might be one of my favorite discoveries in the box!
Pineapple & Tangerine Peel Hard Candies- 8 total candies
White Rabbit Candy - 4 candies
Peach Milk Ball Soft Candy- 4 candies
Lucky Candy- 4 candies
The pineapple-flavored hard candies were delicious. They tasted just like pineapple! The tangerine peel, however, didn’t taste anything like tangerine. I found the flavor completely unfamiliar- sweet, sour, and salty.
I really enjoyed the White Rabbit candies. They’re milky-flavored and wrapped in rice paper. They start out very hard, but after awhile they soften slightly and become more like tough taffy.
Peach Milk Balls are a Chinese version of “peaches n’ cream.” There was an odd, familiar flavor I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but the info card hit the nail on the head- they taste like buttered popcorn Jelly Belly jellybeans!
Lucky candy had a milky, strawberry flavor that I really liked. They were VERY chewy, though. Definitely a candy that forces you to eat slowly!
Vegetable Cookies- packet of 12 cookies
Butterfly Cookies- packet of 4
The Vegetable Cookies were interesting. I really didn’t know what to expect, but they do actually taste like a cookie/ veggie cracker hybrid. They’re sweet but leave behind a lingering flavor of onion and other vegetables. I’ve never tasted anything like them before.
I recognized the butterfly cookies as palmiers. Apparently, they’re a popular cookie in France, China, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. I think it’s so interesting that a single pastry can be a part of so many different cultures!
On the informational card, Universal Yums provides a clue to the next month’s destination. What do you think about the clue? Sounds like Scandinavia to me!
Verdict: I really liked the variety of items Universal Yums selected for the China box.
There was a good mix of sweet, salty, and spicy snacks, and I definitely discovered a lot of new foods. I couldn’t determine a value for this box (since everything wasn’t available for sale online), but I imagine it’s in line with the value of their previous boxes. Boxes from Universal Yums don’t often have a value that exceeds the cost, but I enjoy their curation and feel it adds value to the subscription. They really excel at introducing new foods and snacks in a fun way, and I love being transported to a new destination each month!
What do think about the Chinese snacks from this month’s Universal Yums Box?
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