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.)
About UmaiBox
The Subscription Box: UmaiBox
The Cost: $21.49 a month + $8.90 shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $2 off your first box!
CODE: ILOVEUMAIBOX
The Products: 13-18 snacks + a Gachapon
Ships to: Internationally
UmaiBox November 2017 Review
There is an info booklet included each month. Inside you will find a list of each item featured in the November box with a little description so you know more about each item! The back also tells you how you can purchase the NihonBox.
Onto the snacks!
Yusha Babrishe Ramune - Estimated Value $4.00?
Ramune means soda flavor, which is exactly what you get with these little candies. However, there is a little extra fun with each bite. The candy fizzes like a soda would! The monthly booklet notes that "the manufacturer challenges you to put as many as possible in your mouth step by step, to level up, like a video game." I put a handful in my mouth and much to my surprise these really do fizz like you are drinking a soda! A candy that tastes like the real thing!
Kit Kat: Matcha, Raspberry, Cranberry, & Almond x 2 - Buy a 4.9 oz. bag for $4.64
This is hands down the prettiest Kit Kat bar I have ever seen! According to the monthly booklet, Kit Kat releases a new flavor in Japan almost monthly. This collection is called "Luxury Every Day" which is no surprise since, again, it is such a beautiful treat. You will notice that the top of the candy bar has cranberry and almond clusters, and inside you will taste chunks of raspberries. The strongest taste you will get is the creamy matcha flavor of the actual candy bar. I have never really had matcha before so I was a bit overwhelmed by the strong herbal taste. A really unique version of a traditional Kit Kat that I was so excited to try!
Choco Sand Mont-blanc Japanese Chestnut - Retail Value $2.75
The monthly booklet notes that chestnuts are synonymous with autumn in Japan. These biscuit cookies have a layer of white chocolate cream with a hint of chestnut. The cookie itself is made with flour and chestnuts for that crumbly cookie texture. This snack was so delightful as it wasn't too sweet with those delicious hints of chestnut. The perfect snack to enjoy this time of year!
Super Mario Snack Cheese Burger - Estimated Value $5.00?
I had a really hard finding this snack online, and then I read in the monthly booklet that Super Mario snacks are really rare! It must not have been easy to get them to feature in this month's box so this is a real treat! There are two shapes inside the bag, stars, and mushrooms. They each are packed full of either cheese or BBQ flavors. I didn't get a strong cheese burger flavor in each bite, but I did really enjoy this snack! The BBQ flavors were bold which made this so yummy to snack on.
Double Cheese Pocky - Retail Value $2.99
It seems that there are a million different Pocky flavors out there! This double cheese is a brand new flavor that was recently released in Japan. What is so unique about this limited edition flavor? Well, the biscuit sticks are double dipped. The first layer is of whipped chocolate and then the second with fondant chocolate. The coating is extra thick which makes it so easy to enjoy packet after packet of this sweet treat! Probably my favorite Pocky flavor to date!
Satsumanma Ringo Mix - Estimated Value $5.00?
This little packet is a mixture of apples and sweet potatoes. A true taste of the autumn! Each slice is dried to perfection while keeping the true flavors alive. The pieces are chewy and sweet. I love that this pack is the perfect travel size to take with you on the go.
Sapporo Potato Tsubu Tsubu - Vegetables - Retail Value $4.20
Sapporo Potato is celebrating 25 years this year! Inside you will find a yummy blend of dried potatoes and vegetables. The manufacturer notes that seven different vegetables are used for this blend. This snack reminded me of veggie straws, which I love! Each bite is packed full of a strong vegetable flavor with hints of salt. The potato makes you feel like you are snacking on something super bad for you, but instead, this is a relatively healthy snack!
Arare - French Dressing - Estimated Value $2.50?
These are basically are twisted and curled potato chip. Each stick is so crunchy you won't be able to put this bag down! The bag is flavored with French dressing which the monthly booklet notes is a salad vinegar originally from the United States. I did get a strong dressing flavor with hints of vinegar and salt. Such a fun snack to enjoy!
Koala no machi Kinako Latte - Retail Value $1.33
Oh, these little Koala snacks are my favorite! This latest edition is Kinako Latte, or grilled soy flour mixed with milk. The flavors are so rich and sweet. The cream filling is sweet, almost like vanilla. The Koala biscuits are filled with 365 different illustrations and are still a classic snack in Japan. Send me so many more of this snack, I can't put them down!
Ume Dameshi - Retail Value $0.27 USD
You might think this bright pink hard candy would be strawberry or bubble gum flavor, but you would be incorrect. Instead, these are flavored with salty plums! The candy itself is a typical hard candy that you can enjoy for a while. The flavors were sweet with hints of salty, I did get a fruity flavor at times. What you don't know though is that there are some sour candies included in each bag. So you won't know if you get the sour one until you try. Lucky for me, I haven't come across a sour one just yet.
Shimi Choco Corn - Sweet Potato - Retail Value $1.38 (currently out of stock)
I have received many of these corn snacks and loved them all! This is another limited edition snack for autumn 2017. This bag was made with sweet potatoes from the Tanegashima Island in the south of Japan. Each corn chip is dipped in a light layer of chocolate to give you a delicate sweetness. The chocolate mixed with the sweet potato flavors are very unique and rich. I can't really put my finger on the actual flavors, but I can say you get a lot of sweetness. The crunch of the corn chips is my favorite part, makes snacking on this bag so much fun!
Osatsu Snack Purple Sweet Potatoes - Estimated Value $2.00
Here we have another limited edition snack for the autumn season. According to the monthly booklet. purple sweet potatoes are a specialty in southern Japan, which is where they are also very popular to eat. Honey and butter are added to each little chip to make these so rich and sweet. You can really taste the honey, which I loved! You get this bold potato flavor mixed with the sweet like honey flavors. This is comfort food in a bag!
Bonus Snack - Umaibo x 2 - Buy a variety 50 piece pack for $12.00
Our two bonus Umaibo come in pizza and Yakitori flavors this month! Yakitori means skewered chicken so that Umaibo had a strong chicken broth flavor. Very comforting! The pizza flavor was by far my favorite and probably my favorite Umaibo to date! The pizza was like a pizza bite, so much cheese and pepperoni flavors in one! I have really come to love receiving these various Umaibo each month!
Gashapon of the Month
This months Gashapon are various characters and emblematic items of the Doraemon manga. There are 12 different clips that you can receive from this collection! Which one did you get?
Verdict: This was hands down my favorite UmaiBox so far that I have received! It might be that I love the flavors that come with cold weather, but I thought that each snack was so unique. There was a mixture of great vegetable snacks, sweet treats, chestnut, apple, cheese, and more. What really caught my attention was how many limited edition snacks came in this month's box! Not only are you able to select popular snacks from Japan, but UmaiBox is making sure to send pretty rare snacks that are coming out based on the season they are in. The overall curation is so wonderful and really where you see the value each month, you can tell that UmaiBox is keeping a close eye on the up and coming snacks to feature each month!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive the December box. Boxes ship between the 5th and 9th each month, with a 20 day transit time.
Coupon - Use coupon code ILOVEUMAIBOX to save $2 off your first box!
Value Breakdown: This box costs $21.49 a month + $8.90 shipping, and I received 15 items inside, including the two bonus snacks and the Gashapon of the month. With the cost of shipping calculated in, that breaks down to $2.03 per item which I think is a fair price for what was received this month.
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What was your favorite snack from the November UmaiBox?
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