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Universal Yums “Germany” Review

Becca Peterson
ByBecca PetersonMar 26, 2021 | 18 comments

Universal Yums
4.3 overall rating
43 Ratings | 33 Reviews

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 Germany! 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 “Germany” Review

Spring has finally arrived, and along with that, we received our Universal Yums Germany box! With the weather finally warming up, we were actually able to sit on the patio reading and snacking our way through this months box, while listening to the birds chirping. Read below to see what we received this month!

 

Every month we receive a brightly illustrated map that usually shows where our Yums are coming from. This month, we received a map of Germany, including fun facts and trivia about Munich, Berlin, and Hamburg, 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. This month we didn't get to vote on an upcoming box, but we did get a scavenger hunt to complete!

 

Here we have one of my favorite inclusions of the box, and it's not even edible! This detailed pamphlet is so well laid out and contains so much information. Not only do they include actual photos of Germany, but we also receive traditional recipes, fun trivia, interesting extras about every treat included in the box, nutritional information, crafts, and items available for purchase in The Yum Shop.

 

Strawberry Rhubarb White Chocolate Bar - Buy a pack of 2 for $2.50

Nothing reminds me of summer more than smear of strawberry rhubarb jam on a piece of fresh-out-of-the-oven bread, and this white chocolate bar reminded me of a dessert version of that. This sensually sweet white chocolate bar is generously sprinkled with bits of strawberry and rhubarb for a sweet and tart taste that left me wanting more, and more, and more, until. it. was. gone. Whoops! Sorry kids, you didn't get to give this one a try...maybe next time!

 

Cinnamon Almond Cream Wafer - Buy a pack of 2 for $2.20

I think I've mentioned before that my grandma always had a package of wafer cookies on her checkered tablecloth, and I have to say- this cinnamon almond cream version has those beat ten fold! These light colored wafers appear to be a traditional cream filled wafer, but you will be pleasantly surprised to find a warm, cinnamony taste packed in the cream for a luxurious flavor. Paired with a glass of ice cold milk, these are winners - and the kids loved them too!

 

Cappuccino Milk Caramels - Universal Yums- Buy a 35.3 oz package for $18.70

I love caramels, but the kind of caramels I like are the chewy, sticky ones that form strings when you pull on them. These caramels are deeply coffee flavored, which I didn't mind, but wasn't my favorite, and are a bit more gritty and less creamy than what I prefer. Don't get me wrong- I happily ate both of these little morsels, but they just weren't my favorite.

 

Puffed Rice and Creamy Milk Chocolate Bar - Buy a pack of 4 for $5.20

If you have ever had a rice cake before, I found this bar to be similar, just jazzed up by a coating of chocolate. My kids weren't sure what to think at first, and described this as "not buttery enough popcorn covered in chocolate" and I can't say that they are wrong. The puffed rice doesn't have much flavor, but gives an interesting texture, and of course the milk chocolate is delicious, so between the 3 of us, this bar was gone in a relatively short amount of time.

 

German Cola Candy 

My late grandma passed away at 93 almost a year ago now, and her go-to drink was a can of Coca-Cola. Every time we went to visit, she would pour us a glass (even when I said no), and we would sit on her swinging bench and watch the birds eat out of her bird feeders. While I enjoy a can of Coke on occasion as a tribute to grandma, I feel the cola flavoring needs to stick to soda! These chewy candies were so strange....they tasted like cola, but had a sour note at the end that didn't taste horrible, but was just too hard to wrap my head around. My kids weren't fans of these little bits either, so I think I'm going to bring these to school and share the rest there.

 

Ketchup Potato Sticks - Buy a pack of 3 for $5.10

I love potato chips, and I really like the "stick" shape of this version, but can't get past the ketchup flavor. To be fair, I dislike ketchup on anything. I eat my cheeseburgers, hotdogs, and any other meat plain, and would much rather dip my fries in honey mustard, so these chips just didn't do it for me. My kids really like ketchup, but weren't sold on the flavor of these chips either. I did taste one, and found them to have a strong tomato flavor that might just have been too sharp for the kids, but grandpa was happy to have the leftovers as a treat in his lunchbox.

 

Spring Onion Rings - Buy a pack of 4 for $5.20

Awe, look at these cute little rings! Similar to Funyuns, these onion flavored rings were a heck of a lot more potent. I really enjoyed the crunchy, light texture with the flecks of onion, but boy was my breath terrible after a handful of these. My kids thought they were a little too strong as well, so we saved them for my husbands lunchbox! Aren't we nice!

 

Dark Chocolate Covered Marzipan Bar - Buy a pack of 6 for $4.80

I really, really, really want to like marzipan, but I just don't care for it. This log shaped candy bar features the nicely textured almond paste covered in a dark chocolate coating that looks beautiful, but is just not a pleasure on my palette. My kids don't love dark chocolate, but they did try this and they thought it was much too rich and headed right for the milk jug. Another treat for daddy's lunch pail!

 

Pulled Pork Crisps - Buy a pack of 2 for $6.00

After 2 strikes, we opened these bad boys, and whoa were my kids fired up. These crisps look sort of similar to bacon (and honestly some brands of dog treats we have bought for Scout) but were packed with pulled pork flavor! Each bite was filled with a smoky, crispy, B-B-Q, salt flavor that had us going back for more and more. It literally tasted like a pulled pork sandwich! The kids are wondering if the Easter bunny could swing by Germany to pick them up a bag to put in their Easter baskets. We will have to wait and see!

 

Assorted Sour Fruit Candy

Similar to the Cola candy, we received a few assorted fruit candies, and I found them to be much more enjoyable than the cola flavoring. Each square was sour and fruity, and easy to chew. The perfect snack to light up your mouth and leave you feeling sweet and satisfied. Charlie really liked the grapefruit one, and Hank preferred the pomegranate.

 

Sour Cherry Cookies - Buy a pack of 2 for $6.60

I was so excited to see this beautiful, large, package of these sour cherry cookies in our box this month, and was hoping they would be as tasty as they look! Sadly, they didn't live up to my expectations, and were just okay. The cookie part was fine, although I felt it was a little heavy on the almond flavor, but the cherry filling wasn't exactly sour, or sweet, but more fermented tasting than anything. My kids gave these a try and slyly dropped them in the garbage can, so they weren't fans either. Bummer!

 

Cookie Dough Milk Chocolate Bar - Buy a pack of 2 for $6.60

Okay, so this cookie dough milk chocolate bar, more than made up for the cherry cookies. Holy yum! The gooey, doughy inside of this chocolate bar was delicious, and tasted just like a cookie dough ball but smothered in a delicious creamy chocolate. We were all fans of this treat, and had a hard time splitting it up fairly. I definitely need more of these in my life!

 

Cocoa Dusted Marzipan Balls - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.60

Last up were these cocoa dusted marzipan balls. Like I said above, I just am not a fan of marzipan, and sadly discovered a dusting of cocoa doesn't change my opinion of it. These super sweet balls look lovely on a plate, but are very potent in flavor, and just not what I want as an after dinner treat. I'll take more of those cookie dough bars instead please!

The Verdict: The Germany Universal Yums box actually had more misses than hits this month, which is very unusual! Our family always looks forward to this box, and the surprise element combined with the tasty treats and educational aspect equals a lovely experience, even when we don't love all of the treats. As a rule in our house, if you want to try some of the snacks, you have to try ALL of the snacks, so we did give everything a fair chance, but found some of the flavors to be too strong or lacking. Hopefully next month will swing the other direction! Does anyone have any guesses where we might be headed next month? 

Scorecard Picks:

  • Best Yum: Cookie Dough Milk Chocolate Bar
  • Runner-up: Pulled Pork Crisps/Strawberry Rhubarb White Chocolate Bar
  • Worst Yum: Cocoa Dusted Marzipan Balls
  • Most Unusual: German Cola Candy

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 20 individually-wrapped snacks which average out to $1.35 per item.

Check out all of our Universal Yums reviews and the best snack subscription boxes!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

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Universal Yums is a monthly snack subscription box that delivers a variety of international snacks from all around the world. Each delivery brings an unforgettable experience that mixes the fun of food, travel, and learning in one tasty box!

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Becca Peterson
Becca Peterson

I am a wild and crazy mom of 2 boys and work in the public education system as an Indigenous Support Advocate. I love all things outdoors, beauty, crafts, and food. Living the simple life in the country, we spend a lot of time hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting. Oh, and I absolutely adore my high school sweetheart aka my husband of almost 17 years!


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18 comments

Sss

I get the biggest box and I can tell you, this was one of the most disappointing boxes I’ve ever received from them. (Though it doesn’t help that it followed the absolutely god-tier box from Ukraine!) My sister lived in Germany for years and thought that their choices were extremely strange.

Next month in our European Yums box is Spain, which I recall enjoying before, so hopefully it’ll make up for this month.

(If we HAVE to stick to Europe, I hope we go somewhere like France or Belgium…)

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Mary K

Those pulled pork snacks were mixed for me. Hubby & I really liked them at first — they taste more like Bacos than pulled pork — but I could not get that artificial BBQ/smoke scent off my hands all day, despite washing several times with different scented soaps. So, I liked them but hated them at the same time. lol Agree about the mock funyuns — good flavor, but be careful not to get close to anyone afterwards. I don’t know many people who love marzipan, me included, definitely a polarizing flavor. All in all, a pretty good box. I really look forward to the little booklet each month, you can tell this is a passion project for the owners, not just a job.

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anDreama

My German friend sent me a box of German treats a few years ago, and one item was the marzipan potato balls. I dislike marzipan, so I didn’t like them, but what a weird item to choose marzipan to resemble!! He also sent salted black licorice which was horrible–I like black licorice, but salted? No. I don’t think I would’ve liked this box except for the little candies. Btw I also dislike ketchup, it makes me gag, but my husband puts it on everything, like bread. 🤦🏾‍♀️

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Elizabeth

I had to laugh at the Marzipan comment, because my husband is from Marzipan’s birthplace of Luebeck, Germany, where there is actually a purity law (!) for all Marzipan produced there. There are all kinds of Marzipan quality (just like chocolate!) To be clear, it’s not my favorite, but Niederegger (made in Luebeck) is the Gold Standard for Marzipan. If you have a chance to try it — and you can find it in the USA — I would, because it may surprise you.

Also, as someone who lived in Germany a number of years, it’s…interesting what was chosen for this box. 🙂

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Christina

I agree – interesting is an apt descriptor for this box. I’ve also lived in Germany, and am unfamiliar with these brands – they all do look like bargain knock-offs (font and package colors). And it’s Paprika, not Ketchup chips that are mainstream in Germany! Doesn’t give me much faith in what is picked as representative for other countries/cultures.

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Elizabeth

YES!!! I thought literally everything you said here, down to the colors and the representativeness. Great minds! 🙂

Oh I forgot the fruit chewy things though, *are* a thing, kinda. Evidently they bring back childhood memories more than anything (husband’s Oma used to keep them) else. To me, they kind of taste like Starburst but not. Super great description, right? Where do I sign up to write reviews?*
*I am an actual editor LOL.

Sue

I liked the cherry cookies alright but found the cookie dough chocolate and the marzipan with cocoa both WAY too sweet.

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Becca Peterson

Thank you so much for commenting Sue! I’m glad you liked the cherry cookies! I always find it so interesting how everyone’s taste buds differ so much – it’s really neat!

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Charlotte

In my experience marzipan is a really polarizing flavor, similar to licorice. I don’t particularly care for it, but can tolerate it in small amounts when paired with other flavors. But just plain marzipan would get the thumbs down from me as well, dark chocolate covered or no.

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Becca Peterson

Thanks for commenting Charlotte! I’ve tried marzipan in a few different treat forms, and while I don’t care for it, if there was a sweet emergency and nothing else was available, I might just eat it….but definitely not if there are more cookie dough chocolate bars laying around! 🤣

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Ashley.C

Thanks for the great review! But for once I have to disagree, I loved this box. I have been getting boxes for my son (13) and me for about a year and this one was a huge hit for us. We weren’t familiar with marzipan but we both loved it in both forms. The balls were adorable and delicious. I wasn’t a huge fan of the pork crisps but I’m not generally one for meat-flavored chips. It’s a strange concept to me for some reason. I always love the yum bag, we always get excited about opening up the little bag of surprises 🙂

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Becca Peterson

I’m so glad you loved this box Ashley C! It’s so neat to see how everyone’s palettes differ! We too love that little bag of yums! It’s like opening a Christmas present!

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Sherry

Maybe I’m a little biased since my Dad is from Germany, but I absolutely LOVED this box!!! Dark chocolate with marzipan is a personal favorite combo of mine so I was extremely happy to get that bar plus the mini balls. The sour cherry and almond cookies were also a HUGE hit for me – another personal favorite flavor combo. Overall it felt very true to German snacks. I’ve only just recently started this subscription but this will be a hard one to beat for me!

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Becca Peterson

I’m so glad you enjoyed your box Sherry! That is really cool to hear that you felt this box was true to German snacks too! I hope you continue to enjoy! 😊

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JennG

I have to agree with you…the cookie dough candy bar was delicious. I had every intention of sharing, but things happen!!

Milena

The cappuccino caramels sound more like fudge & the packaging looks almost exactly like packaging on a polish candy “Krowki” (which translates to “little cows” & I can see a cow on the wrapper here!). The puffed rice bar is similar to a snack I’ve had in Poland during the winter where you melt down the “Krowki”, stir in puffed rice & shape them into a pinecone shape.

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Kate N.

I LOVE those Polish fudge candies! So addictive! I might have to try the pinecone snack!

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Becca Peterson

Thanks so much for the info Milena! I really appreciate that! Those pinecone shaped snacks sound fun…I am going to have to investigate that! Thanks for commenting! ❤

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