Universal Yums is a snack subscription box that sends out snacks and candies from a different country each month.
This month's box takes us to Turkey!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the Yum Yum box, which is $25 a month.
The Subscription Box: Universal Yums
The Cost: $14/month for the Yum Box, $25/month for the Yum Yum Box. Free shipping to the U.S.
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The Products: "The contents of the boxes change each month as we try to highlight the best snacks from each featured country. However, you can always expect a mix of flavors: salty, sweet, spicy, fruity, and more. Only authentic snacks from the featured country."
Ships to: U.S., Canada, U.K., and Israel
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As soon as you open your box, there's a piece of thick paper that reveals this month's location and has a fun taste testing rating game on the back! You will also receive the monthly booklet that goes into great detail about Turkey and the featured snacks!
As you can see, the booklet is very detailed and goes into a bit of history for each snack. You can also learn about why they chose Turkey this month and play a fun trivia game!
Let's dig in!
Hazerbaba Turkish Delight, 3.5 oz - (Buy a 16 oz. box for $10.20)
This decadent treat is filled with rose petals and has a delicate coating of powdered sugar on top. You get both a floral and perfectly sweet flavor in each jelly square. This treat was originally called lokum when it was first created three hundred years ago. When travelers brought it to Europe, they couldn't pronounce the name hence the new more familiar name of Turkish Delight! I remember the very first time I had this wonderful treat, it was in my 5th grade library class, we were reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I didn't enjoy this snack then, but eating this delicious rose petal flavor now was so unique!
Torku Pistachio Cikolata Bar, 35 g - Retail Value $2.00?
According to the monthly booklet, Turkey is the largest exporter of hazelnuts and the third largest exporter of pistachios. It makes sense then that this creamy chocolate bar would be filled with pistachios! This bar tasted so fresh with its nutty crunch and rich chocolate sweetness. I enjoyed this with a hot cup of coffee and it was the perfect afternoon treat!
Baharatli Ulker Krispi Kraker, 54 g - Retail Value $3.00?
These little crackers were the perfect blend of chips and crackers! They have that lovely crunch like a chip with a light flakiness that you would get from a cracker. Even though Baharatli means "spice" it doesn't have the same meaning as we might think. In Turkey, spice really means "full of spices or flavor." That is exactly what these crackers were! They had a delicious onion, garlic, thyme, and parsley flavor that made these so refreshing to enjoy.
Today Croissant with Thyme, Basil, & Olive Oil, 40 g - (Buy 6 for $12.99)
Can I get a croissant as a snack every day?! According to the monthly booklet, in 1683 bakers in Vienna heard the Ottoman army moving into the city through underground tunnels. The bakers were up cooking and immediately alerted the Austrian army, who were able to fight off the attack. In the days that followed, the bakers made bread in the shape of crescents which is the symbol on the Turkish flag as a way to celebrate. Another fun fact is that this is the first time that this brand of croissants is being brought to the U.S! I love a bit of history with my snacking, not to mention that this thyme, basil, and olive oil blend was the perfect snack. Each bite was rich and buttery with that perfect herb seasoning, seconds, please!
Toffix Mastic, 4 pieces - (Buy a bag for $3.54)
This candy was interesting! The main ingredient in this hard candy is mastic, which is tree sap that has been sun-dried and hardened. The candy itself basically tasted like pine and other earthy flavors. While I didn't love this candy, I did love reading that in 1822 mastic was worth more than gold in the Ottoman Empire!
O'lala Souffle Cake, 70 g - Retail Value $1.05 USD
All I can say is, OMG this was incredible! The booklet said to heat this souffle in the microwave for 12 seconds, which is exactly what I did. You honestly shouldn't do it for more or less time, 12 seconds was perfect. The souffle was so hot and as you eat your way to the center you will find a runny chocolate filling. Everything was so rich in sweet chocolate flavors. Such a decadent snack to have this month!
Clip Sesame Stick, 50 g - Retail Value $1.50 (currently out of stock)
Simit is a popular bread that is served for breakfast that you can find in many Turkish cities. It is explained to be much like a bagel, but the only flavor you can find is sesame. These sesame sticks are meant to be like that breakfast bread. I absolutely loved this snack because it was just so buttery and crunchy! The sesame seeds gave it that added layer of crunch that I love. I could see these being great dipped in hummus as well but were incredible on their own.
Miniki Turtacik, 25 g - Retail Value $1.50?
This little cookie has a tangy tangerine jelly center that is so tart and delicious! The cookie itself was so flaky and full of rich butter flavors that just melted in your mouth. Besides being delicious, this cookie was also so beautiful I almost didn't want to eat it. Orange zest and butter cookies, what more could you ask for?!
Elvan Banana Donut - Retail Value $2.50?
Another beautiful treat that was almost too cute to eat, almost! This little donut is filled with a lovely banana cream that is so sweet and fresh. The donut itself is cake-like and so crumbly. The banana flavored icing was so creamy and the perfect topper to this lovely donut treat. I gobbled this donut down with my cup of coffee for breakfast and it was totally worth it!
Acili Ulker Krispi Kraker, 54 g - Retail Value $3.00?
Ulker is a company founded by two brothers who escaped Crimea in 1929 that has now grown into the largest snack food company in Turkey! These little crackers that taste like chips are flavored with a smokey pepper powder. Each bite packs the right amount of heat and you also get this light sweetness that is mostly from the smoke. I absolutely loved these crackers because they packed more heat than the other flavor from this month's box, but also because they are just the perfect blend of a chip and cracker!
Torku Cocoa Helva, 40 g - Retail Value $4.00?
I was very surprised to read that this snack is commonly eaten at funerals in Turkey! After taking a bite I realized that this is comfort food at its best so it makes sense that this would be a snack for grieving friends and family. Each bite is almost like a crumbly piece of cocoa powder and is very sweet! You also get hints of vanilla and almost like an almond flavor as well. I really loved reading about the tradition behind this snack, what it means for families in Turkey, and enjoying tasting its unique sweet flavors!
Miniki Milk Cream Chocolate Bar, 25 g - Retail Value $1.50?
This chocolate bar is made by Torku, a company developed nine years ago by a group of 900,000 farmers in the Anatolia region of Turkey. Such a unique start and delicious candy! This chocolate bar was hard to put down! The outer shell of chocolate is so thin and sweet. The inner cream is a milk-like flavor that is so rich and creamy. Combined together you get this thick and creamy delicious snack that is oh so sweet!
Torku Sade Mevlana Seker - Retail Value $2.02 USD
This was another unique candy! The candy itself is very hard like a mint but is made with sade which is an oil extracted from the rind of a bergamot orange peel. The flavors were very bold that reminded me of an herbal orange zest. It was very unique with the texture of the candy itself. While it wasn't my favorite treat of the month, the bag is large enough to share with friends who I know will love it!
Ibon Toffee, 4 pieces - Retail Value $1.00?
These little toffee pieces are made with yogurt! What you will find is a sweet outer shell that has fruity flavors and then the inside is a creamy yogurt. The candy itself is so rich and creamy with the refreshing fruit flavors. I could snack on these all day!
The Verdict: What I love about Universal Yums is that I learn through snacking. Their box is very focused on introducing you to different cultures, to learn about their history, and to understand why different flavors might be used in each snack. For someone that would love to travel the world, this box brings me so many unique flavors that are perfectly curated each month. I thought I knew a good amount about Turkey, but this month's Universal Yums really brought it to a whole new level! Each snack was better than the next and I was amazed at how beautiful so many of the snacks were, almost to the point where I thought they were too cute to eat. Universal Yums is a great way to learn about new destinations through snacking!
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? No, you will receive the December box, which will ship on 12/15.
Value Breakdown: This box is $25.00 a month (including shipping). I received a whopping fourteen snacks this month which averages out to $1.79 per item. Each of the snacks this month were so unique and hard to find online! I think the overall value of the box is absolutely worth the monthly cost, plus you receive so many snacks that will keep you snacking for days!
Which Universal Yums snack would you most like to try?
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