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 $16 a month, the Yum Yum Box for $27 a month, or the Super Yum Box for $41 a month.
This review is of the Yum Yum box, which is $27 a month.
This month’s box takes us to the Netherlands! 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: $27 a month + free U.S. shipping (save with a prepaid annual plan)
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 “Netherlands” Review
In all honesty, I can't believe that February is already upon us... and halfway over! Winter usually looms forever in Minnesota, and this week has been a bit overwhelming to say the least... just last night our temperature gauge read -46f below... NOT including windchill... I can safely say I am over it! While we have been huddling in the house with our furnace cranked, we have been playing an assortment of board games and trying out our delicious Universal Yums treats from the Netherlands. We have found it the perfect way to ease our winter woes and add some excitement to our otherwise uneventful weekend. Read below to see what we received.
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Every month we receive a brightly illustrated map that usually shows where our Yum's are coming from. This month, we received a map of the Netherlands, including fun facts and trivia about Amsterdam, Emmeloord, Groningen, Tilburg, and more, along with fun illustrations. On the opposing side, we have the "Yum Scoreboard" which includes a list of the box's contents and an area for you to rate each of them. We also received some info suggesting Yums from the Yum shop based on items you may have loved from this box. We were also given an area to vote for an upcoming box. Our voting options this month were Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania. Charlie chose Bulgaria, while Hank is hoping for Romania. Which country do you think they will actually choose?
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One of my favorite parts of this subscription is the detailed pamphlet they include that is filled with information about the Netherlands. A fun piece of info was the photo of the minuscule melon on the front page. We actually planted an almost identical version called "mouse melons" 2 years ago, and my son won 1st prize for them in the county fair. While we didn't find they tasted exactly like watermelon, they did have a slight watermelon flavor mixed with a bit of a cucumber vibe. Interesting, fun, and different! Besides fun trivia, we are also provided info on the Netherlands in 60 seconds, a recipe, blurbs about each individual snack, nutritional information, and items that are available in The Yum Shop!
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Caramel Stroopwafels - Buy a pack of 3 for $5.40
The first item in this month's box is actually one our family is familiar with. As a treat from a vendor at work, my husband once received a box of Stroopwafels and thoroughly enjoyed them. As the background information suggests, we heated up a cup of cocoa and set the treat on the steamy mug for a good 3 minutes before diving in, and boy was that a game changer! Moist, gooey, and caramel-infused, this is the perfect addition to a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, and literally melts in your mouth. We were nice and the boys and I shared one while saving one for my husband's breakfast. I already have a pack added to my Yum Shop cart because they were so very addicting.
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Salt & Pepper Potato Chips - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.20
This month our handy dandy pamphlet showcased a variety of Hand Cooked Chips, and we were the recipients of the Salt and Pepper version. To be honest, if I were to purchase a bag of chips at the store, I would have gone for the other flavors over this one, but we were pleasantly surprised with the flavor. Extra crunchy and lightly flavored, these chips taste natural with the lightest flavor of salt and pepper. The bag advertises these as "thick cut" but my husband and I agreed they could have been a lot thicker, and maybe a bit less greasy. Overall these were tasty, and the kids loved them, so I was happy to give them a try.
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Dutch Candy Cars - Buy a pack of 6 for $5.40
Super cute, and super tasty, these little gummy cars were a big hit in our household! Based on our previous experience with gummies, we were expecting these to be a bit more on the chewy side, but because they were firmer, they lasted longer, which was a nice feature. This pack included three different flavors: strawberry, blackcurrant, and cherry. And all were equally delicious. I know it's a little naughty to play with your food, but we just couldn't resist zooming these adorable Cadillacs on the table before popping them in our mouths. Yum!
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Sour Watermelon Candies - Buy a pack with 800 pieces for $35.90
When we came to these little green candy packages, the kids couldn't rip them open fast enough. They just couldn't wait to see how sour these candies might be. While Hank dove right in after opening, Charlie was a little apprehensive worrying he would "get sick" from the sourness. One look at Hank's face after giving it a try and Charlie decided to go for it too. We didn't feel these candies were overly sour and were glad to discover that they were not comparable to a "War Head" candy. With a sweet and sour watermelon flavor, they were extra chewy and quite tasty. Perfect as an after-dinner snack.
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Aged Gouda Cheese Crispies - Buy a pack for 3 for $5.10
As a cheese lover, I have tried every cheese snack I can get my hands on, but have never had anything quite like this. With a mild gouda flavor, these cracker-like crisps were crunchy, cheesy, and addicting. I enjoyed them on their own, but can definitely see them being an asset to any salad or potato topping. The kids were fans of these little morsels as well.
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Soft Licorice & Fruit Gummies - Buy a pack of 4 for $5.20.
Like I said above, fruit gummies are a staple in our home, and the kids couldn't wait to dig into these oval treats... That is until they took a whiff of the bag and saw the black ends. As we aren't big fans of black licorice, they were put off by the scent, and ended up eating the fruit part of the gummy while leaving the "butts" to be discarded. While I am not a black licorice fan either, I was brave and gave both parts a try, discovering they weren't terrible, but not my favorite either. If there were any full-sized bites left, I too would have eaten the fruit section and set the licorice area off to the side.
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Sour Violet Candies - Buy a pack with 143 pieces for $16.30.
Wondering just how sour these sour violet candies could be, I was eager to give them a try. Featuring a hard shell, similar to a Blow Pop, these super sweet, only slightly sour hard candies were filled with a more natural, floral flavor. Hank wasn't sold on the flavor of these, and Charlie wasn't interested in trying them, but I found them to be decent, probably not something I would purchase an entire bag of, but good enough to polish off the extras left in the box!
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Chocolate Covered Kruidnoten Cookies - Buy a pack of 3 for $4.05
As a lover of all things chocolate, I was very excited to receive this bag of spiced cookies covered in a variety of milk, dark, and white chocolate. Tiny and cute, these bites are packed with flavor and a great addition to a cup of tea or coffee. The white and milk chocolate covered cookies were my favorite, but I kind of mowed down the entire package faster than I would like to admit. I just might have to add these to my Yum Shop cart...
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Dutch Speculaas - Buy a single pack for $4.20
According to the pamphlet, these spice cookies are ranked the Netherlands' #1 cookie! Featuring a beautiful embossed design, this large package of cookies was cinnamon-y and delicious, but to be honest, I found them a bit boring after the chocolate-dipped cookies, above. My husband was a big fan of these rectangular treats and has requested a baggie-full in his lunch pail for his morning work break, so I lovingly packed him what was left of the entire package.
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Hazelnut Cream Milk Chocolate Bar - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.00
Silky, smooth, and rich, this hazelnut cream milk chocolate bar is delish. Segmented into 6 sections, you can savor this bar in multiple sittings, but I don't know who would have the willpower to resist. Besides the delicious flavor, the packaging is adorable, and depicts the 1897 reading board that helped generations of Dutch children learn to read! I loved this bar, as did the rest of my family, so you can probably guess there weren't any leftovers.
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Dutch Licorice Bites - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.80
I want to like black licorice, I really do, but I just plain don't. Looking like cute little buildings, these chewy black licorice candies are very potent and flavorful. I did try one, because I have to give everything in each box a go, but uff da, I struggled to finish the entire gummy. My husband took one whiff of the bag and put it down, and my kids were terrified after the fruit/licorice gummies above, so I will be passing the rest of these babies onto my mom who hopefully will enjoy them much more than we did.
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Cheddar and Raspberry Cheese Crispies - Buy a pack of 2 for $7.40
Upon the first scent of opening the package, I found these quite similar to the Aged Gouda Cheese Crispies – they had a similar texture, too. That is until I took a bite. While they were mild like the Gouda version, these cheddar crispies had a little more of a flavorful punch, which was nicely accented by the raspberry flecks sprinkled throughout the treat. Sweet and savory, these little crispies certainly were addictive, and surprisingly delightful!
The Verdict: Universal Yums was filled with excitement this month! We couldn't wait to see what snacks we would discover from the Netherlands, and for the most part, we weren't disappointed. Our family agreed this was a wonderful curation that was well thought out, offered a variety of sweet and savory treats, and taught us a few new things along the way. While we didn't enjoy the licorice-flavored items, I know a few people who will, so they won't go to waste. Helping to spice up our chilly Saturday morning, we enjoyed going through this box, and can't wait to see where we'll be traveling next month. Does anyone have any guesses?
Scorecard Picks:
- Best Yum: Caramel Stroopwafels
- Runner-up: Hazelnut Cream Milk Chocolate Bar
- Worst Yum: Dutch Licorice Bites
- Most Unusual: Sour Violet Candies
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 12 individually-wrapped snacks which average out to $2.08 per item.
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