Universal Yums Subscription Box Review – April 2015

Universal Yums is an international snack subscription box. Every month they send a mix of snacks from one country or region. (A different country or region is featured each month.)

This month’s snacks are from Scandinavia! I love the Swedish tissue paper flag.

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.

Finn Crisp Rye Snacks (4.6 oz)- $3.69

According to the Universal Yums info card, back in 1800’s Scandinavia bread was baked only twice per year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Crispbreads were popular because they would stay fresh in the months between baking. I love rye crispbreads, so I was very excited to receive these. I’d never had flavored ones before, but I really liked the addition of garlic and herbs. They’re also certified non-GMO, which I’m always happy to see.

Marabou Chocolate with Nougat (110 g.)- approximately $5

Milk chocolate Marabou Nougat Bars are made with a double layer of nut and almond praline. Marabou is the largest Swedish chocolate manufacturer, and, according to Universal Yums, is considered to be the best chocolate in all of Scandinavia.

Lars’ Swedish Gingersnaps– value $6?

I don’t like receiving snacks without a label (Universal Yums has done this few time in the last several months), but I’m familiar with Lars’ Gingersnaps and very happy to see them in the box. They’re made with cloves, cinnamon, and ginger and are crispy and full of spicy flavor. I think they’re delicious with tea. Without the full original packaging, it’s difficult to determine value. There’s no weight listed, but the box on Amazon looks to have two packets of cookies (for $12).

Halva Salty Licorice Bar (2 oz.)- $1.25

Panda Blueberry Licorice Bar (32 g.)- $.76

I love licorice, so I was very excited to see both of these items in my Yum Yum box. I’ve tried Panda licorice before, but the blueberry flavor was new to me. I really liked it. It was definitely a mild licorice, and the fruit flavor was subtle.

The Halva, on the other hand, had a very strong flavor. I really enjoyed the saltiness, but I imagine it will be a divisive snack. I think most people will either love or hate it. Luckily, I thought it was great.

Kex Chocolate Wafers (Note that link is for a full-sized bar)

Daim Chocolate Toffee

I love that Univeral Yums sends a good variety of candy every month, and I think it’s so much fun to sample sweets from around the world! I really liked both of these candies. The toffee minis had a crunchy almond caramel center and were covered with milk chocolate. The Kex Wafers were lightly sweet and really good too. 

Marianne Chocolate Filled Mints

Geisha Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts

Dumle Soft Caramels

The Marianne mints might be my favorite discovery of the box. The candies have a peppermint-flavored hard candy outer shell and are filled with creamy chocolate. It seems strange to mix hard candy and chocolate, but it definitely works.

Geisha chocolates are inspired by “Japonica,” a Japanese pastry. They’re made in Finland and popular throughout the Nordic countries.

In Sweden, Dumle candies are a popular treat for kids. They’re soft caramels coated with milk chocolate and really tasty. There’s a similar candy, called “Plopp,” that Swedish adults prefer, but Universal Yums thought the name might be off-putting for English speakers. Ha!

On the information card, Universal Yums provides a clue to the next month’s destination. The land of milk and honey? Sounds like we’re going to Israel!

Verdict: I liked the items Universal Yums selected for the Scandinavian box, but it felt a little lighter than usual. (Or maybe it just seems light after last month’s China box, since that one was packed to the brim!) I wasn’t sure what to expect from Scandinavian treats, but I really liked everything I sampled. I couldn’t determine an overall value (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 Scandinavian snacks from this month’s Universal Yums Box?