Universal Yums is a snack subscription box that sends out snacks and candies from a different country each month. Choose from the Yum Box for $15 a month, the Yum Yum Box for $25 a month, or the Super Yum Box for $39 a month.
This review is of the Yum Yum box, which is $25 a month.
This month’s box takes us to Italy! Let's dive in and discover this month's Yums!
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 Universal Yums
The Subscription Box: Universal Yums
The cost: $25 a month + free U.S. shipping
The Products: The contents of the boxes change each month as they 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 are included in this box.
Ships to: The U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and Israel
Universal Yums “Italy” November 2020 Review
Oh, Universal Yums how I love the fact that you give us a field trip to a new country all while staying in the safety and comfort of my own home! Because the pandemic has taken away so many special festivities, we have continually been left disappointed, but each month, this box gives us a little piece of normalcy and something to look forward to. Interested to see if we enjoyed Italy's snacks? Read below.
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To start our review this month, we received a postcard with an exclusive offer to "give the gift of Yums." With this offer, you can save $10 off of a Yum Box, $20 off a Yum Yum Box gift, or $30 off of a Super Yum Box gift.
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Each month we receive a brightly animated map detailing the country our Yums are coming from. Our map of Italy was wonderfully illustrated and contained facts and trivia about the country. My boys mentioned wanting to move here because it was stated that in Italy it's all about cookies and biscuits for breakfast... I could work with that. Anyways... on the opposite side, we have the "Yum Scoreboard" which includes a list of the box's contents and an area for you to rate each item. Not only is this a scorecard, but it also lists snacks that were rejected from the box, along with the chance to vote on an upcoming box. I am totally voting for New Zealand this time!
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Here we have the detailed pamphlet that includes tons of information about Italy itself and the treats they sent this month. This component is packed with fun history and trivia! This month, we received a recipe for an easy and authentic Caprese salad and learned that in Italy, it is very common for children to live with their parents until their 30s. This fact did not surprise my 5 and 7-year-old as they stated they were staying with me until they are 50... We also were given a little preview of what's for sale in The Yum Shop!
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Italian Black Truffle Potato Chips - Buy a 3.5 oz package for $6.60
As soon as we opened this month's box, I recognized the branding of these truffle potato chips as this item was also sent in the February 2019 review. These chips are really crispy and crunchy with bits of truffle sprinkled throughout for a natural mushroom flavor accompanied by a little salt. I could take or leave these chips, but like last time, the kids really enjoyed them. I saved a couple to share with my dad who is mushroom-obsessed, and he didn't care for them - interesting!
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Fizzy Lemon Candy
When I read "fizzy" in the description of these candies I was hoping they would actually fizz in your mouth – and they do! These lemon-flavored hard candies are a perfect balance of sweet and sour with a big surprise inside. When you bite into the middle your entire mouth starts fizzing! So fun and so tasty! I had a hard time trying to locate these online because they aren't for sale in the Yum Shop, but they did remind me of Zotz Fizzy Candies which come in an assortment of flavors.
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Lemon & Pepper Tarallini - Buy a 6 pack for $5.40
Back in February 2019 we received a similar version of these lemon and pepper tarallini, but produced by a different brand. The adorable bagel-like shape and slight lemon scent were almost identical to last year's version, but I feel like these were a lot more peppery. Crisp and flavorful, the boys and I enjoyed these and were happy with the slightly less lemon and more pepper flavor this brand seemed to provide.
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Ketchup Potato Chips - Buy a 4 pack for $4.40
In school, we did a poll to see how many students like ketchup, and out of 50 staff and students, I was the only one who absolutely hates the popular condiment. These thin crunchy potato chips have a texture similar to Lay's original, but are packed with a very strong ketchup punch. I tried these because I will try (mostly) anything once, but I found the flavor wayyyy too strong. The kids liked these, but my dad (who puts ketchup on just about everything) LOVED them. Hmm... Christmas gift idea maybe??
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Orange Zest Carrot Cake - Buy a 10 pack for $7.00
Because this item was also sent in the February 2019 review, I am going to use the description I wrote then as it still fit how I felt about this treat:
This treat is a light carrot cake, infused with orange flavor. It is drizzled with a light vanilla icing on top and a thin layer in between the cakes. It is very elegant looking! These were tasty, but I didn’t pick up on the carrot flavor as much as the orange flavor. It was nice to get 2 cakes, so I was able to share with my family – my now 5-year-old (where does the time go?!) loved these!
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Italian Amarettini - Buy a 3 pack for $5.40
Interestingly enough, we also received these in the February 2019. While I was happy as a clam to receive the cakes and chips again, these crunchy, airy, potent almond cookies were a miss for us. While we didn't mind the texture or the crunch of these tiny, cute little cookies, we found the almond flavoring to be way too powerful. I'm all about almonds and generally love that flavor, but it was just too much. I feel these would be tasty crushed up with some graham crackers for a layered pudding dessert. I'm thinking I will have to try that!
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Tiramisu Cream Milk Chocolate Balls - Buy a 14.1 oz package for $9.60
I am obsessed with chocolate, and anything in truffle form I just cannot resist, so I was excited to give this tiramisu version a try. I recently started drinking coffee with a bit of white chocolate cappuccino mix incorporated, and these truffles taste just like that! The firm chocolate shell was easy to bite into to reveal a smooth coffee-like flavor. I am definitely a fan!
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Tomato & Oregano Bruschetta - Buy a 2 pack for $7.20
This package was huge and I was excited. I haven't had the chance to experience a lot of bruschetta in my life, but these little tomato and oregano versions lit up my day. They looked so very fancy and tasted like mini pizzas that I didn't have to cook. The tomato was the perfect combination of savory and sweet, and the addition of oregano gave it a really comforting flavor that left me feeling satisfied.
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Raspberry & Almond Dark Chocolate Bar - Buy a 2.6 oz bar for $4.00
If you haven't caught on by now, I have a huge sweet tooth and I am addicted to chocolate. While I prefer milk chocolate, I know dark chocolate could be better for you health-wise, so I have been trying to incorporate more of it into my life. This large raspberry and almond bar provides a slightly bitter dark chocolate flavor beautifully infused with small bits of raspberry and almond for a delicious combination. My kids were not as impressed with this bar as I was, but I will gladly keep this to myself.
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Cranberry Frolletti - Buy a 6 pack for $4.20
The excerpt from the booklet mentions that Italians prefer crumbly cookies to soft cookies because crumbly versions are better for dunking into their country's favorite drinks: coffee, wine, and even milk. Cranberry is a flavor I really enjoy but don't eat a lot of, so I was excited to see how these crunchy little squares tasted. Not only are they dainty and cute, but they seriously have the best buttery flavor combined with the absolute perfect amount of cranberry. The package we received was so small that they were gone before I blinked, but I definitely feel these would be next-level dipped in a glass of Moscato!
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Milk Chocolate with Strawberry Pop Rocks - Buy a 14.1 oz package for $9.60
Here we have an item that was also seen in the 2019 Halloween review but I wasn't one bit upset because these truffles are BOMB! Covered in a milk chocolate shell, the inside of these babies are filled with a white cream and stuffed with strawberry flavored pop rocks for a truly explosive treat. The only complaint I have is that we only received 2!
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Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Bar - Buy a 3 pack for $5.40
As we all know, I am kind of obsessed with hazelnuts, especially when combined with chocolate. Thank goodness we received 2 of these bars, because it lasted but a second after I got my paws on it. This soft milk chocolate bar literally melts in your mouth. As you can see from the picture, it is beautifully stamped with a compass-like design and is almost fudgy in texture without being too rich. While the chocolate is delectable on its own, combined with the hazelnuts you are in for a real treat! The softness and crunch combine for a perfect candy bar that I am definitely going to need more of.
The Verdict: We love Universal Yums and even though we visited Italy in the February 2019 box (which technically is 3 months earlier than the "no repeats in 2 years") we enjoyed it. This subscription does such a nice job providing new information even with repeat items, and we really did enjoy most of this month's treats. Since we are in a 2-week "reset" period from school because of COVID, supplementing anything educational into our Distance Learning plan is really important to me, and the kids love it. I can't wait to see what country we get to visit next month!
Scorecard Picks:
- Best Yum: Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Bar
- Runner-up: Milk Chocolate with Strawberry Pop Rocks
- Worst Yum: Italian Amarettini
- Most Unusual: Lemon & Pepper Tarallini
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Each month they ship your box no later than the 15th day of the month. The first month you will receive a box varies based on availability and may depend on the size that you order.
Value Breakdown: This box is $25.00 a month (including shipping). I received 19 individually wrapped snacks which average out to $1.32 per item.
Check out all of our Universal Yums reviews and the best snack subscription boxes!
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