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 Pakistan!
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.
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
Check out all of our Universal Yums reviews and find similar boxes in the Snack Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
As soon as you open your box, there's a piece of thick paper covering the contents of the box that reveals the featured country for the month. There is a fun welcome message introducing Pakistan and offering some quick trivia!
The booklet highlights each snack in the box in great detail, listing out the history of the snack, and a few of its unique ingredients. You also receive a fun game card that allows you to rate your Yums! This is a fun and interactive way to enjoy each snack with friends or family and look back on each month's box.
Let's dig in!
Kurleez Mirch Masala Chips, 1.75 oz - Value $1.69?
The word masala translates to "spice", and usually represents a spice blend. Maybe you've heard of or even tasted food with masala in it. I love masala and anything with a little spice. These chips were no exception—they were delicious! I also think I have a new found love for crinkle chips. Each bite had a kick to it, but nothing too overpowering. I guessed at the value of these chips since I couldn't find them online.
Kurleez Ketchup Chips, 1.75 oz - Value $1.69?
Another crinkle chip for me to enjoy, yum! A fun fact that I learned in the booklet is that the first written use of the word ketchup was in 1690. It came from an Indian cookbook describing an East-Indian sauce called "Catch-Up." I love ketchup of all kinds, so these chips were perfect for me, and believe it or not they tasted just like ketchup! I gobbled this bag up without sharing! I guessed at the price of these hard-to-find chips, too.
Nimco Mix, 2.1 oz - Value $0.59 (Buy a 14.10 oz bag for $3.99 here.)
I absolutely love the story behind this snack, so I have to share it with you! In 1949 a young couple moved to Pakistan where they opened a shop where the husband sold his wife's food. He thought she was the best cook in the world... and so did everyone else! The shop grew in popularity so much so that it still is open today! Nimco Corner is being run by the couple's grandson and serves 1,000 customers a day. The favorite snack among customers even today is the Nimco Mix, a special chickpea dough that is shredded, fried, and then mixed with spices, peanuts, and peas. The best way that I can describe this snack is that it is a super high-end party mix! You get a lot of the fried flavors in each bite, creating this amazing crunch. And the spice blend (OMG the spice blend!) adds this salty spice flavor that I just couldn't get enough of. I finally gave in and let my husband finish the bag, but boy is this snack addicting in the best way possible!
Chili Mili Gummies, 1.06 oz - Value $0.29 (Buy a 24 pack for $6.99 here.)
These little gummies are shaped like peppers and were oh so cute! If you don't like spice, be aware that this candy is not for you. While the spiciness builds as you eat, you really get a ton of pepper-like spice. So don't toss three in your mouth at once like I did! Luckily, I really enjoy spicy food, and I loved the uniqueness of eating a spicy candy! This is probably something I would never buy on my own, but I loved trying it and was surprised by how much I enjoyed each gummy!
2 Packs of Rite Lemon Cookies, 0.63 oz - Value $0.16
The booklet notes that these cookies are a popular after-school treat for kids in Pakistan! They might look like an Oreo and they sort of taste like an Oreo, but these cookies have some unique differences. The cream filling is lemon-flavored and really packs a sweet tartness that I loved! The cookie itself is made from dark chocolate, so you get a mild bitterness that really cuts through the lemon flavor nicely. I absolutely loved this little cookie! The value of this snack is written right on the package—"Rs. 5" is 5 rupees, which equals about $0.08 at the current exchange rate. Know that this snack might be worth more in the states, though, after the cost of shipping it overseas!
Sonnet Chocolate Bar, 0.77 oz - Value $0.15
This little candy bar was so rich and creamy! The center of each bar is made with peanut and fudge, meant to withstand the high temperatures in Pakistan. The peanuts create a wonderful crunch while the fudge is very thick and chewy. Mixed with the chocolate, you have yourself a wonderful little candy bar! Again, the Indian price is written right on the package—"Rs. 10" is 10 rupees, which equals about $0.15 at the current exchange rate. But that's likely lower than what you'd find it listed for in the states, because of shipping costs.
Novita Orange Wafers, 1.12 oz - Value $0.15
These aren't your average orange wafer, these are made with Kinnow, an orange that grows in Pakistan and India! The orange is very flavorful and sweet. The creaminess mixed with the wafer adds a fluffy crunch that is oh so delicious! I enjoyed these with a cup of coffee as a yummy afternoon snack. This is another snack with the Indian price written on the package.
Chillz Chatpata Potato, 1.6 oz - Value $1.37?
This snack is described as chaat, or another way to say "savory snack." You get a wonderful blend of sweetness and spiciness in each bite of these little potato sticks. There is a light bitterness that almost tastes like lemons that cuts through the spice. This snack was so unique and delicious! The price here was a guess based on similar items I've seen.
Zeera Cookies, 3.28 oz - Value $3.50?
I estimated the value of these cookies, too. These cookies are made with cumin that give it a light smoky flavor. The cookies themselves are meant to be more dry with more of a salty flavor than a sweet one. I have a pretty intense sweet tooth, so these cookies weren't really for me. You really get a strong spice flavor, but without the added bonus of something sweet, they really are bitter. I think these would pair nicely with a flavorful tea, especially since they are on the crunchier side for a cookie. While I didn't love these, I really enjoyed trying such a unique blend of flavors in one bite!
Soan Papdi, 8.81 oz - Value $6.00?
I was really surprised to read that this is cotton candy! Just based on the packaging and the cute box that this came in, I thought this was a cookie or brownie or something like that. It definitely didn't look like the cotton candy that I am used to seeing. This is much more elevated, and if you look into the baking process, you will see that a lot more love and attention goes into each box! Each piece is topped with pistachios that give it a unique crunch, but when you put a piece in your mouth, you will find that it melts instantly, like any good cotton candy does! Each piece breaks apart, and you can see the thread-like consistency that comes from the unique way that this candy is made. After reading more about this treat, I was very excited to try it, and I can safely say that it did not disappoint! What a unique experience! This price is an estimate, as well!
Juicers Lychee Candy, 5 pieces - Value $0.72?
Lychee is a fruit that grows in Punjab, Pakistan. It has a mix of sour, sweet, and floral flavors. This hard candy embodies the flavors of a fresh lychee with the gooey center that gives you all the unique flavors that you would taste in a real lychee! The hard candy was oh-so-sweet, and you really do get a lot of the floral flavors. I really enjoyed this unique hard candy! The price I gave it is an estimate based on similar candies.
Charms Blackcurrant Candy, 4 pieces - Value $0.50?
In the early 1900s, the US government banned the planting of blackcurrant fruits because they spread a fungus that killed white pine trees, which were once an important piece to for the timber industry. Today, less than 0.1% of Americans have tried a blackcurrant fruit! After reading the story behind this fruit, I was really excited to try this candy. It had a Sour-Patch-candy-like texture to it with the sugar-covered outer layer. The fruit itself tasted very much like a blueberry! It's very sweet and sugary, and so interesting thanks to its very fun history!
Milk Toffee Chews, 4 pieces - Value $0.50?
I love toffee so these chews were quickly devoured! Each chew has a caramel shell with a sweet milk filling. Each bite is so creamy and rich from the milk and caramel. I loved everything about these!
The Verdict: I absolutely love Universal Yums! The box itself is a whole experience that you can really interact with since you get the game card that allows you to rate each snack. The information booklet always provides such detailed information. It's almost like a mini history lesson to enjoy while eating your snacks. My husband and I love reading about each item before we taste it, and then we can each rate the snack on our card! This month's box featured so many unique items from Pakistan, but I was, unfortunately, unable to find a lot of them to purchase anywhere online. I think my favorite item was the cotton candy because it was such a unique take on what my impression of cotton candy is. I love when a box can really showcase different parts of the world that you might not know much about!
This Universal Yums box costs $25.00 a month (including shipping) so that brings all thirteen items to an estimated value of $1.92 each. While I loved this month's box, I do think each item would come in less than that, and each snack was on the smaller side, so there wasn't a ton of each leftover for extra snacking. I always enjoy my Universal Yums and am excited to see where they will take us next month!
Which Universal Yums snack would you most like to try?
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