UmaiBox is a Japan-based monthly box from NihonBox that is filled with the best treats from JAPAN! Each box includes 13-18 items of the best snacks and products from Japan plus a Gachapon to collect each month. Bonus items are placed in boxes at random!
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.)
The Subscription Box: UmaiBox
The Cost: $19.99 a month + $5.50 shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $2 off your first box!
CODE: ILOVEUMAIBOX
The Products: 13-18 snacks + a Gachapon
Ships to: Internationally
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There is an info booklet included each month.
Inside you will find a list of each item featured in the August box with a little description so you know more about each item!
The back highlights that this month's box highlights limited edition products that are perfect for the hot weather that August brings in Japan. It also tells you how you can purchase the NihonBox.
Now let's get to the snacks!
Cream Collon - Lemon
The description says that these are famous Japanese Collon biscuits made from Sicilian lemons. These were such a refreshing and light snack that tasted similar to a Pirouette. The outer shell was thin, sweet, and crispy. Inside was a lemon flavored cream that provided a wonderful mix of bitter and sweet. I could not stop eating these!
Picola - Mango and Yogurt
This is a new snack that just came out in Japan for the month of August! The description says that these are made with mango and yogurt, but I have to say I didn't get much of a mango flavor or a creaminess from the yogurt. Instead, it tasted like a very bitter orange.
Popcorn Ananas and Cheese Flavors
These are made with pineapple, coconut, and then a mix of mozzarella, cheddar, and camembert cheese. I was a little nervous to try this one only because the ingredients sounded all over the place, but I really enjoyed this snack! You really get more of the sweetness from the pineapple, making it sort of similar to a kettle corn. There are hints of savory flavors from the cheese, but nothing too overpowering. I turned my back for one minute to find that my husband had almost finished the bag so I would say this was a hit in my house!
Cream Soda
I loved this candy before I even tried it simply for the retro style packaging - I mean so cute! The description says that this hard candy is melon flavored on the outside with white vanilla cream soda on the inside. For me, I didn't get a lot of the cream soda flavor, but got a lot of that sour melon flavor which I love! This was a delicious hard candy that you can enjoy on the go when your sweet tooth calls.
Fettuccine - Watermelon
Fettuccine shaped gummies! These were a longer version of a sour patch kid with a very strong watermelon flavor. The perfect snack for a warm summer afternoon at a baseball game! The outer layer is covered with sugar while the inner layer is a sweet watermelon gummy. This is another bag that you can easily take on the go or carry around at the park.
Harvest Sand - Coconut
These cookies reminded me of Auntie Ann's vanilla cookies. The description calls these cupcakes, probably from the creamy icing in the middle made with coconut milk. The outer cookies are coated in coconut oil. I am not the biggest fan of coconut flavors, but I really enjoyed these cupcakes - who doesn't love a cookie sandwich with an icing filled middle?!
Ginza Rusk - White Chocolate
I started snacking on these before I read the description, and my first thought was that it tasted like a butter cake. I couldn't put my finger on the flavors, but I still could not stop eating. After reading the description I was so surprised to see that these are a white chocolate cake, I thought I didn't like white chocolate! The cake part is not as soft as a cake, but not hard like a biscuit. Instead, it is the texture of a freshly baked cookie. The white chocolate flavors make this melt in your mouth. I enjoyed this entire box with a cup of coffee. I really wanted to share this snack with my Mom, but quickly realized I had eaten the whole box - now I just need to find where I can buy these in bulk!
Summer Chips with Salted Plum
According to the booklet, these chips were made in limited quantities just for the summer! The potatoes come from Kyushu and the plums come from Wakayama Prefecture. These chips are the perfect mix of savory and sweet because you really get a lot of the plum flavors. Each chip is lightly salted that provides just a hint of savory without being overpowering. I can absolutely see why these deliciously sweet plum chips would be great as a summer afternoon snack!
Jagabee - Yuzu Shio
These are one of the most popular snacks in Japan, and this summer edition is made with yellow and sour citrus. The stick itself is made from a real potato and is coated in salt. This snack wasn't my favorite, even though it was very unique, mainly because it tasted like french fries that had a hint of lemon flavor to them. I shared them with some friends that could not get enough of them!
Wasabi Endo
This snack will knock you off your feet if you aren't ready for them! This snack is packed full of spicy wasabi flavors, so much so that I could only eat a few. The fried peas provide a lovely crunch that makes this snack something I would pair with a cold beer on a summer evening. My husband loves spicy food so he was happy that I was able to share these wasabi crusted peas with him!
Do-n Taro
This dried udon can be eaten right out of the package or you can pour them in a hot broth or plain water for a soup like snack! I loved this fun little bag and ate the whole thing so quickly because it really is a comfort food style snack. You get so much 'chicken soup' flavors to this that I could see it even working as a topping to a noodle soup bowl.
Sauce-sembei
This snack was so unique and I loved the little package it came in! First, you have the sembei (flour based) which is really like a plain wafer. Second, you will find the sauce that you can add to each sembei for a little kick. The sauce was like a salty steak or barbeque sauce. While I did like how different this snack was from anything I have ever seen or tasted, it was a little far out of my comfort zone so I was happy to share this one with my husband who couldn't get enough of the sauce flavors!
Bonus Snacks: Umaibos
The bonus snacks were two Umaibos, one with pumpkin corn soup flavors and the other was beef tongue with salt. I have tried a few different Umaibos flavors in other boxes, but I haven't found one that I love just yet. They are a bit on the salty side and, while I love a crunchy snack, the texture mixed with the unique flavors is usually overpowering for me. I am going to keep trying different flavors though because I know my new favorite is out there!
Gachapon of the Month
Gachapon are listed as Disney Bread and are inspired by the famous TsumTsum invented in Japan. There are twelve different characters in total that look like bread and UmaiBox provides one new character each month!
Verdict: UmaiBox was packed full of fun snacks to try for the summer! If you count the Gachapon and the two bonus items, I received 15 items in total for August! All of that for $19.99 plus the $5.50 shipping fees! I always have such a good time trying new and unique snacks from Japan. This box was great since I did get so many I was able to share with my husband and friends, bonus! Each item is the same size of a snack you would get at the store, not a sample size, so you really are getting so many yummy snacks for the cost. I can't wait to see what next month brings as the weather starts to cool down!
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