Universal Yums is a snack subscription box that sends out snacks and candies from a different country each month. The contents of the boxes change each month as they highlight the best snacks from each featured country, but you can always expect a mix of flavors: salty, sweet, spicy, fruity, and more. Only authentic snacks from the featured country are included in this box. Choose from the Yum Box starting at $16.00 per month, the Yum Yum Box starting at $26.00 per month, or the Super Yum Box starting at $41.00 per month (with an annual commitment).
This review is of the Yum Yum box.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
With Christmas behind us and a new year ahead, I find myself looking forward to cozy snuggles on the couch with my family, and lots and lots of snacks. The January Universal Yums box arrived during our winter break, which came in handy for our long days inside. (Seriously - never ending rain in Minnesota in January?! WTH!) Not only were we excited for the tasty Polish treats, but it's educational too! Read below to find out what we discovered this month.
What's Inside the Box
1 of 7
With every month of Universal Yums, we receive a fun, illustrated map that shows where our Yums are coming from. This month our brightly colored map depicts Poland with a variety of trivia. The backside hosts the usual Yum Scoreboard and scavenger hunt. Also included in this box is a lovely pamphlet that guides you through each country via trivia, recipes, photography, and activities. Not only is this box tasty, but it's educational as well!
Cocoa Glazed Gingerbread Sticks
1 of 3
Gingerbread is a flavor that can be either really good or really bad. Which way did this Yum go?! Slender, spicy, and coated with chocolate, this is the one version of gingerbread I actually loved! Usually, the ginger flavor is just too overpowering for me, but these sticks were fantastic! Paired with a cup of coffee these made for a wonderful breakfast treat. Charlie and Hank were obsessed with these yummy sticks and we definitely need more of these in our lives.
Original Monster Munch Potato Snack
1 of 3
We have received these monster-shaped potato snacks in previous years, and we were happy to receive another package. Salty, light, and crispy, these are not only cute, but delicious too. The original flavoring is similar to that of Lay's Original Chips, but the texture of this version is so much more fun! The kids love this snack, and they were gone in no time.
Paprika Peanuts - Buy a single pack for $4.60
1 of 3
I have to confess... I may have a peanut addiction. I absolutely love all things peanut and was super excited to give this coated version a try. Lathered in paprika, these peanuts are coated with a crispy cracker and are phenomenal. A surprising twist on an already delicious snack, I was a huge fan of these, and didn't leave many left for the rest of my family to try. Whoops.
Lemon Cream Cookies
1 of 3
Lemon isn't a flavor I tend to love, but these crumbly almond biscuits filled with lemon cream were decent enough. A light and airy flavor after very heavy Christmas flavors, these cookies were quite tasty. Charlie was a bit surprised by the amount of lemon cream inside, but it went so well with the cookie that it wasn't overpowering. While not our favorite item in this months box, it definitely had its place and was worth a try.
Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Bar - Buy a pack of 3 for $5.60
1 of 3
Interestingly enough, after reading the included pamphlet, we learned that E. Wedel company is to Poland as Hershey's is to the US. As a chocolate fanatic, I was excited to see this as the first item in the box, and couldn't wait to give it a try. Charlie was my tasting buddy this month, and because this year he discovered a love of marshmallow chocolate Santa's, he thoroughly enjoyed this dark chocolate covered marshmallow bar. I found the consistency of marshmallow to be a bit thicker than US varieties, which I actually prefer, but I think I would have liked it more had the coating been milk chocolate. All in all, we were satisfied with this item.
Cow Candy Milk Fudge - Buy a pack of 3 for $6.00
How cute are these little candy wrappers?! I love the cow clipart and the folded edges; they just look so simple and sweet! Inside is a milk fudge caramel with a crumbly outside and gooey inside. A little grainier than a traditional caramel, I found this to be the perfect mixture of a caramel and fudge. It was sweet and tasty, but also quite rich. One piece was perfect with my cup of coffee and Charlie's glass of milk.
Chocolate Covered Jelly Candy
These candies definitely bring me some nostalgia as they are very similar in flavor to the orange sticks my grandma used to buy at Christmas. With a chocolate shell and ooey gooey fruity center, I preferred the cherry versions over the orange and lemon, but really liked them all! The boys, on the other hand, left these for me, as they didn't enjoy the chocolate-fruit match up at all.
Espresso Cream Dark Chocolate - Buy a pack of 2 for $6.60
1 of 3
Coffee is one of my best friends, so I was excited to receive this large espresso cream dark chocolate bar. Strong in fragrance in the very best way, this definitely was heavy on the espresso flavoring. The creamy inside complemented the dark chocolate very well, and while rich, was delicious with my morning cup of coffee! Yum!
Butter & Salt Potato Chips - Buy a single pack for $6.30
1 of 3
These chips are sooo yummy! Upon opening the bag, I was greeted with a buttery smell - similar to that of movie theater popcorn. The taste was a bit strange at first, but then all came together for a buttery, salty, potato chip that felt like I was eating popcorn. Quite strange really! Similar in texture to Lay's, the only real difference is this butter flavor, and I have to say, I'm here for it! Charlie is my little popcorn connoisseur, and he gave these chips two thumbs up, and he was especially excited because the bag was so huge!
Chocolate Marzipan Gingerbread Bar - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.20
1 of 3
The last item we received was another one that featured gingerbread flavoring. With three layers, this chocolate/gingerbread/cream bar was very mature in flavors and one our family just didn't care for. In small bites with a strong cup of coffee it wasn't terrible, but I'd much rather have more of that espresso chocolate than this bar.
The Verdict
Universal Yums is one of our very favorite subscriptions. Our family looks forward to receiving this box each and every month, and are always surprised by the contents. Featuring a host of sweet and savory snacks from different countries, this Polish box was fun and delicious! Tasty and educational, this box is full of fun! We can't wait to see where we are headed in February! Any ideas?
Scorecard Picks:
- Favorite: Gingerbread Sticks
- Runner-Up: Paprika Peanuts
- Worst Yum: Chocolate Marzipan Gingerbread Bar
- Most Unusual: Lemon Cream Cookies
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, as of this review's publication, if you sign up now you can choose to receive the Poland, Spain, or South Korea box.
Value Breakdown: This box is $26.00 per month (including shipping). I received 18 individually wrapped snacks which average out to $1.44 per item.
Which Universal Yums snack would you most like to try?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.