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 $16.00 per month, the Yum Yum Box for $27.00 per month, or the Super Yum Box for $41.00 per month.
This review is of the Yum Yum box, which is $27.00 per month.
This month’s box takes us to the Ukraine! 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: $27.00 per 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 “Ukraine” Review
As you may have noticed, this review is coming very soon after the review of the "Netherlands" box due to a shipping delay, so things have been extremely exciting around here! The kids were absolutely thrilled to see the "special" pink box show up on our doorstep, and couldn't wait to dive in. Thankfully this week the temperature has been has slowly been increasing, so we have been able to spend a little more times outdoors, but I gotta say, there is nothing I enjoy more than trying out treats with my babies after a long day of school. 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 Ukraine, including fun facts and trivia about Kyiv, Lviv, Kolomyia, Shpola, and Kharkiv, 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 Germany, Belgium, and Hungary. I would love to see a box from Hungary, how about you?
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A major aspect of this subscription that I enjoy is the detailed pamphlet they include, and how well it is laid out. Not only do they include actual photos of cities in the Ukraine, but they also include traditional recipes, trivia, tid-bits about every treat included in the box, nutritional information, activities, and items available for purchase in The Yum Shop.
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Roasted Garlic Rye Chips - Buy a pack of 4 for $4.80
If you are a fan of Gardetto's Original Snack Mix, you are in for a treat with these roasted garlic rye chips. Because these aren't included in a mix, they are a bit potent by the handful, but sprinkled on top of a salad, mixed with pretzels, or alternating with a sweet snack, these little bits are tasty. They are quite garlicky, which is a bummer for my husband (I tend to breathe garlic for days after eating even the tiniest bit) but they are just plain savory, salty, and delish.
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Wasabi Chip Strips - Buy a pack of 10 for $6.00
Hank and I were going through this box together, and he busted open this package and dove right in....before I was able to read him the summary.....As he was chewing I read, "can you handle Ukraine's spiciest chip?" I was a bit worried they would be too much for the 8-year-old, but he ate multiple strips like a champ, only needing a small glass of water to cool down. I enjoyed the thinness of these crisps, and how light they were, yet packed with flavor. I don't have much experience with Wasabi seasoning, but always associate it with when Tow Mater ate it thinking it was ice cream in the Cars movie, so I was a bit apprehensive to try it, but I loved these! My husband was also a fan.
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Veal & Adjika Chips - Buy a pack of 4 for $5.20
I don't know if my taste buds are just shot, or if I have acquired a taste for spice, but I honestly didn't find these veal and adjika chips spicy at all. Truthfully, I love meat, but not necessarily in the name of the chip I'm eating....that being said, these crunchy little rounds taste like beef, pepper, and salt, all in the best way. These particular chips have a bit more of a foamy, light texture than your typical potato chip, but I am all about these delights!
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Sweetened Condensed Milk Cream Cakes - Buy a pack of 4 for $4.00
Soft, moist, and sweet are the first three words that come to mind when I think of this sweetened condensed milk cream cake. Not only is it pretty out of the package, but the fluffiness of it was just light enough to be the perfect end to a delicious dinner. I haven't come across many pre-packaged cake items I've liked in the past, but this one was pretty dang good. Hank even asked to take the rest for his lunch at school tomorrow.
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Baked Milk & Dark Chocolate Wafer - Buy a pack of 10 for $4.00
If you have read my reviews before, you know I am a lover of almost all sweets that include wafers. I tend to associate them with my Grandma Pat, who always had the brown, pink, and yellow wafers in a container on her kitchen table for when company came. This wafer is a lot larger, and a lot fancier than those, but I am definitely not complaining. When Hank read the summary, he was a little let down to discover dark chocolate in the title, as he usually doesn't care for that, but he is an equal opportunity sweet taster and had to give it a try...verdict: he loved it! Sweet, crunchy, and creamy, these layered wafers were a hit, and even kind of fought over.
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Fruit Juice Filled Caramel Toffees - Buy a pack of 2 for $4.40
Toffee is my jam, but I don't usually associate it with fruit juice, so how did it fare? Deliciously, as a matter of fact! There was an option of apricot, strawberry, blueberry, and orange, and while we received mostly apricot treats, I liked the blueberry one the best, with apricot still being really good. The chewiness and smoothness of the toffee is everything I look for, and the sweet tang of fruit was a nice touch. I was impressed!
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Juice Filled Fruit Jellies
One of my favorite snacks growing up was a good ol' pack of fruit snacks, but mine were always plain, never fruit filled. Once in a while, if we were lucky, my mom would buy us a box of Gushers, so I was wondering if this would compare to those....and they did not. These treats were more dense, less chewy, and actually a little gritty. I enjoyed the filling, and overall taste, but honestly I would choose a Gusher any day.
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Creme Brulee Milk Chocolate Bar - Buy a pack of 4 for $4.00
Oh Universal Yums, you know my love of chocolate so well! At work today, I was craving chocolate so badly that I almost drove an extra 20 miles to stop at a gas station and buy a Hershey's bar. I resisted, so I was beyond excited to see this beautifully packaged Creme Brulee bar in the box. Separated by "portion control marks" these gooey pieces are decadent and addicting. I seriously dare you to stop at one piece, because admittedly I couldn't.
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Dark Chocolate & Almond Wafer - Buy a pack of 10 for $6.00
Like the Baked Milk and Dark Chocolate Wafer bar, this dark chocolate and almond wafer was similar, but took it up a notch with the addition of almond. I am a nut fanatic, and the realness of almond made this remind me of a Ferrero Rocher candy on steroids. Coming in at an inch and a quarter, this giant Yum was packed with eleven layers of wafer and dark chocolate with real grated almonds for a naturally delicious flavor that couldn't be resisted.
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Caramel Bubble White Chocolate Bar - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.80
When I read that this caramel bubble white chocolate bar was considered the champagne of Ukrainian chocolate, I couldn't wait to dive in. This giant bar was separated into portions that were of course too small, but absolutely fantastic. As you can see in the photo, it actually contains bubbles that create a melty experience that absolutely melt in your mouth. I adore white chocolate, and I think this has become my new favorite white chocolate bar in the universe, which is saying a lot as I consider myself kind of a chocolate connoisseur.
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Fizzy Citrus Candies
If you are familiar with Zots, these fizzy citrus candies are a bit similar. I actually found the outside to be a bit more on the fizzy side than the inside, but they were tart, and surprising, which was a fun change of pace. They sent a variety of flavors including lime, orange, and cola, and I was very happy to see the majority in the lime flavor. Tart and sour, these candies are really fun, leading me to stash away the rest of them in my purse for myself.
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Creamy Toffee Squares - Buy a pack of 6 for $4.20
After receiving the fruit juice filled caramel toffees, I had high hopes for this nice sized toffee creamy deluxe bar. Looking sophisticated with the lined perforations, I was excited to give it a try, and actually found it falling a little flat. While tasting delicious, I found the grittier texture a little different, but the flavor was spot on. I really was enticed with the cream filling, and felt the vanilla flavoring come through in a complimenting manner. I would definitely eat these again, but did prefer the fruit juice filled caramel toffees.
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Summer Fruit Jellies - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.20
Our last Yum of the month was this lovely large package of summer fruit jellies. Coming in a variety of shapes and sizes, these sugar coated candies varied in flavor. I personally enjoyed the cherry flavored ones the best, but Hank and Charlie preferred the pear ones. They were kind of fun as they kind of reminded us of the orange slices my dad used to buy, and I did appreciate the large package.
The Verdict: The Ukraine Universal Yums box was honestly one of our favorite months to date. The mix of savory and sweet snacks was well thought out, and all enjoyable. My kids didn't spit out a single snack, and we had a really hard time choosing which snacks they liked best - which is pretty rare. I appreciated the variety of flavors, and always enjoy the educational aspect included as well. Going through this box was the highlight of our week, and we can't wait to see where we'll be traveling next month. Does anyone have any guesses?
Scorecard Picks:
- Best Yum: Dark Chocolate & Almond Wafer
- Runner-up: Caramel Bubble White Chocolate Bar
- Worst Yum: Roasted Garlic Rye Chips
- Most Unusual: Wasabi Chip Strips
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 $27.00 per month (including shipping). I received 22 individually-wrapped snacks which average out to $1.22 per item.
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