Universal Yums is a snack subscription box that sends out snacks and candies from a different country each month. Choose from the Yum Box for $15 a month, the Yum Yum Box for $25 a month, or the Super Yum Box for $39 a month.
This review is of the Yum Yum box, which is $25 a month.
This month’s box takes us to France. Let's dive in and discover what France has to offer!
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.)
About Universal Yums
The Subscription Box: Universal Yums
The Cost: $25 a month + free US shipping
The Products: The contents of the boxes change each month as they 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: The U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and Israel
Universal Yums “France” February 2020 Review
Universal Yums is such a wonderful experience! I love how they make this into such a learning experience for my family. Not only do we get to eat new and fun treats, but we also get to learn all about a new country. We adore this box and look forward to it arriving each and every month!
Side note: Because I have adapted to a low-carb lifestyle, my husband and 2 sons tasted all of these treats and shared their opinions with me for review purposes, but I did try a nibble here and there...
Upon opening the box, you are greeted with a bright, fun, animated sheet that welcomes us to the wonderful country of France! On the backside, they include "The Official Yum Awards." This ballot is where you can cast your vote for your favorite and not so favorite snacks in the box. If you post your ballot on social media, you could win more of your favorite snacks, and who doesn't want that?!
Next, we have a detailed pamphlet that is packed with information about this month's snacks, trivia, a matching game, a recipe, and a clue to next month's box!
Bret's Au Fromage du Jura
Did you know there is a floral cheese? I did not, so I was very interested to give these chips a nibble. These deliciously crunchy ripple chips are immersed in a coating of comte- a sweet, floral cheese, from the Franche-Comte province in eastern France. While I'm not sure I noticed a "floral" note, they were so tasty that my kids and husband gobbled the entire bag in mere seconds, which I take to mean two thumbs up!
Truffles Bar by Mathez - Buy a similar bar here for $2.49
These creamy, decadent truffles have all the texture you could want out of a truffle, plus they are dusted in a lovely bitter cocoa powder to offset the sweet milk chocolate ganache inside. My kids weren't the biggest fans of these morsels, and neither was my husband, saying they were too bitter and too rich, but my nibble thought they were very tasty, and it was hard for me to stop at just a taste!
Les Sables de La Mère Poulard - Buy an 8 oz package here for $5.99
I love buttery cookies, and these butter biscuits are heavenly! I just had a teensy taste, but in that small bit, I can tell you these are so yummy! The light shortbread flavor is wrapped in a slightly crunchy, pretty little biscuit. My youngest son, who doesn't have a huge sweet tooth, really enjoyed these, while my older son found them a bit boring. I suggested that we dip the remaining biscuits in melted chocolate and add sprinkles as a special treat for the weekend and they both were all for that!
Sibell Chips Saveur Vinaigre
Out of all of the flavors in the world, I was a little bummed to receive vinegar flavored potato chips, because the name just doesn't sound appetizing to me. Upon opening the package, the smell of vinegar wafted into the air, and I turned up my nose. My 4 year old tried one first and said, "mom, you have to try these!" Of course, I couldn't resist his sweet little face so I did, and guess what...I really really liked them!! The tangy flavor of vinegar with the saltiness of the potato chip was more potent than the traditional Lays salt and vinegar flavor (according to my husband) but even better!
Raspberry Mini Roll
I've always heard France is known for its desserts, and this little roll is proof they know what they are doing! This fluffy, soft cake is filled with sweet and flavorful raspberry jam. I am not a fan of imitation fruits, and you can definitely tell this roll contains real raspberries which was wonderful! The tartness of the berries and the sweetness of the cake is the perfect combination! My kids and husband devoured this roll!
Sibell Tube a Grignoter Fromage
These cheese flavored tube snacks reminded me a lot of tube-shaped Bugles. These crunchy, savory tubes are slightly ridged and have a lovely light cheese flavor which everyone is sure to enjoy. My kids thought they were pretty good, and my husband didn't mind them. While they weren't our favorite item in this month's box, they certainly weren't the worst either!
Cé Moi Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Crystals
Before I started my low carb diet, I HATED dark chocolate. I found it much too bitter, and would rather skip dessert than eat anything with it. Now that I have been low carb for a couple of months now, I had to try a little bit since my kids and husband didn't care for it. Well, let's just say, my little bite turned into an entire square because this chocolate with the gourmet French sea salt is AMAZING! The bitterness of the dark chocolate paired with the extra saltiness of the fleur de sel is delicious! I plan on giving the rest of the squares to my grandma who adores dark chocolate just so I don't blow my diet!
Fraisoo' Bool
My kids were so excited to see this package in the box, and couldn't wait to get their hands on it! They love strawberry candies and were hoping they would be as tasty as they look. The verdict: they LOVED them! These small round, pink candies are chewy and juicy, the perfect sweet! My husband even found himself asking for seconds.
Jacquot Almond Truffles - Similar flavor found here for $11.53
Like I have shared before, I LOVE receiving big fancy boxes of candy in this subscription, except when I don't like that said candy. Sadly, our family did not care for these truffles. While they were beautiful, and the ganache inside was creamy and tasty, we found the almond to be too strong, and almost fake tasting. Better luck next time!
Tetes Brulees
The first item in this month's "Yum Bag" were 4 of these flavorful chews with sour filling. We received 3 peach tea and 1 cola version of these treats. I have to say these are very interesting. My kids found them way too sour, so naturally, I had to give them a whirl. I found the peach tea to explode sourness but in a good way! They were very sweet and surprising, and kind of delightful! The cola one was also surprisingly tasty, and interesting!
Caramels con Fleur de Sel
Oh salted caramels, how I love thee! These caramels are delicious, smooth, and creamy and I had to send them with my husband to work so I wouldn't be tempted to eat more than a bite! He thoroughly enjoyed them as well and was happy to have them all to himself!
Tetes Brulees Gout Cola
Because we received the cola-flavored candy chew above, I was excited to try this sour cola bar by the same company. Like the filled chews, these were also really sour and interesting tasting. I like cola, but not enough to want it as a candy, though these might have changed my mind. I should note that the kids did NOT like these, but my husband did.
The Verdict: We love Universal Yums, and this month was a lot of fun! Each and every month my family waits for this box and is thoroughly impressed. We love the fact we get to learn about faraway countries and try their snacks, all while home in our pajamas! We have discovered some really great snacks via this box, and it always leads to fun conversations! We can't wait to see where the March box will be from. Our clue is this: "Next month, an expedition is in store! Down the rio, we'll search from shore to shore. Not for critters - for something even more rare: Chilis, passionfruit...and Yums beyond compare!" I've got a guess! Do you?
Scorecard picks:
- Best Yum: Cemoi Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Crystals
- Runner-up: Fraisoo' Bool
- Worst Yum: Jacquot Almond Truffles
- Most Unusual: Tetes Brulees Gout Cola
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? No. Each month they ship your box no later than the 15th day of the month. The first month you will receive a box varies based on availability and may depend on the size that you order.
Value Breakdown: This box is $25.00 a month (including shipping). I received 21 individually wrapped snacks, which averages out to $0.84 per item.
Check out all of our Universal Yums reviews and the best snack subscription boxes!
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