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 December 2017 Review
There is an info booklet included each month. Inside you will find a list of each item featured in the December 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!
Kit Kat To Bake Ice Cream Flavor - Retail Value $7.10
These Kit Kat bars are super interesting because the suggested way to eat is by baking them in the oven until golden brown, place them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes, and then enjoy. I haven't tried it this way just yet simply because I think these are incredible as is! They have this creamy texture that is like eating cookies and cream ice cream, my absolute favorite. Since I did receive a full-size bag of these, I will have to try baking them as suggested. For right now, I am having a hard time not eating these all the time!
Nagewa Roast Beef Flavor - Retail Value $1.99 USD
These little rings were so good! They really tasted more like a potato chip to me with a light hint of beef seasoning. They are super thin and easy to eat. The bag is huge so I was snacking on these throughout a whole day! I do wish I got more of a roast beef flavor because I love roast beef, but these were still really good and interesting!
Christmas Jelly Santa - Estimated Value $1.50
I wasn't able to find this little lollipop online for purchase, but they might be more readily available around the holiday season. I can't get over how beautifully made this little Santa is! It is almost too cute to eat, almost. The jelly was super soft with a lovely sprinkling of sugar on the outside. The jelly had a fruit flavor to it that was so delicious!
Calbee Potato Chips Zeitaku Chocolat - Estimated Value $3.00
Chocolate covered potato chips are dangerous, they are so good! According to the monthly booklet, these are sold every year close to winter. The potatoes come from Hokkaido and the salt comes from Lorraine in France! The chocolate is so rich that mixes so nicely with the salty chips. I could eat these all day long!
Kinako Mochi Senbei - Estimated Value $5.00
This senbei is a collaboration with the Tirol Choco brand to create this Kinako Mochi flavor. According to the monthly booklet, Kinako is a grilled soy powder. I didn't really get a strong flavor of any kind, but there were hints of sweet and salty. The senbei is light and airy with a yummy crunch, but the flavors weren't anything that blew me away. I wasn't able to find this online, but I did a price estimate based on how many packets come in this.
Pokemon Gummy and Card - Estimated Value $3.50
This fun packet comes with a Pokemon card and fun gummies. The gummies come in a Pokemon shape and tasted like strawberry. The texture was a lot like jelly, super unique! I was surprised that I wasn't able to find this packet online so I did a price estimate based on what I have seen for other card packets.
Splatoon 2 Ring Snack - Retail Value $5.00
This container of this snack is designed so that you can eat while playing video games without getting your fingers covered in food or spill anything. According to the monthly booklet, this design is super rare and very popular with gamers. The flavor of this particular package is bouillabaisse so you are getting hints of fish flavor throughout. The snack is super crunchy, almost like a cereal. I wasn't able to find this online, but my search took me down a rabbit hole indicating that this is really difficult to find yet seems to be in super high demand!
Doraemon PukuPote Cheese - Estimated Value $2.50
These snacks were really unique! They are a potato cracker that looked like it would have some sort of filling inside. Instead, they are just a thin puffed up cracker that tasted like a potato chip. You also get a super strong cheese flavor that is very bold. I love cheese so I could snack on this little puff all day long! I wasn't able to find this particular snack online so I did a price estimate based on other snacks from the Tohato brand.
Ramune Chameleon - Retail Value $6.21 USD
These little candies are a soda flavor that changes flavors and colors as you eat, just like a chameleon! The candies are hard so the flavors last a while. As you go, you will get hints of fruit and other soda flavors, and your tongue is going to be super colorful just like these candies!
Potato Stick Spicy Shrimp Flavor - Estimated Value $1.50
I really wanted to love these potato sticks, but the second I opened the bag I was hit with a super strong fish smell. I do love fish, but sometimes artificial flavors like this are just too much for me to truly enjoy. The sticks were super crunchy and extremely spicy so if you don't like spice or shrimp these aren't for you. Once you get through the spice you are hit with, again, a very strong shrimp flavor. This snack just wasn't for me, but my husband tried this snack and couldn't put it down! He loved the flavors and that extreme spice!
Tabepuri - Estimated Value $4.50
This case is super cute! I could see this being a fun candy to get for a little one that wants a phone of their one but is still a bit too young. The candies are mochi (rice cake) and are super sweet! This packet is flavored with peach, mango, and apple. You can use the little toothpick to grab each delicate candy, how fun! Each piece is soft like gum with a sugary sweet and fruity flavor. I wasn't able to find this for purchase online so I did a price estimate based on other candy packages like this that I could find.
Kyabetsu Taro - Buy a box of 30 for $25.25
According to the monthly booklet, this snack has been around in Japan since 1981! Each corn puff is super light and airy but packs a big crunch. Each is coated with an Okonomi sauce flavor. I had to search what Okonomi sauce is and I found a few recipes that include ketchup, honey, sugar, soy sauce, and Worcestershire. To me, the flavor was almost like eating a salty soup. Paired with the crunch from each corn puff, I thought the flavors were incredible and very addicting!
Bonus Snack - Umaibo x 2 - Buy a variety 50 piece pack for $11.98
Our two bonus Umaibo come in Christmas chocolate and corn soup flavors. I have received both of these flavors in a few other snack boxes as well, most likely because these are the top flavors for the winter months. The chocolate umaibo is so delicious and crunchy with that sweet coating of chocolate on the outside. The corn soup is one of my favorites with its sweet and salty flavors that remind me so much of a warm soup.
Surprise Bonus Snack
This bonus snack isn't listed in the monthly booklet so I am not sure what it is called, but the flavors are pretty hard to pinpoint. Each little puff is super crunchy, almost like a soup cracker. I got a light saltiness with some chicken flavors. Nothing too crazy or super yummy, but I was excited to receive an extra snack!
Gashapon of the Month
This months Gashapon is Poke Balls! There are seven different types that you can receive from the latest movie "Kimi ni Kimeta." Which one did you get?
Verdict: December's UmaiBox screamed Christmas to me! It was filled with sweet and salty snacks that are perfect to enjoy on a cold day in the winter. I am always so impressed with some of the exclusive snacks that are featured each month. Many of the snacks are really hard to find to purchase online, and I even found some comments on various sites asking where they could find certain snacks like the Splatoon. For me, the value really comes in with the overall curation and uniqueness of each snack. Not to mention you receive so many snacks and many come in a full-size bag! I am still snacking on many of the ones from this month!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive the February 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 16 items inside, including the three bonus snacks and the Gashapon of the month. With the cost of shipping calculated in, that breaks down to $1.90 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 December UmaiBox?
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