Universal Yums is a snack subscription box that sends out snacks and candies from a different country each month. 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. 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 box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
Last month we had the pleasure of visiting a country that had never been visited by Universal Yums before, so I was wondering if that was the start of a new trend. This month we visited Indonesia, which we have received snacks from before, but it has been a little over two years. Even though we have visited in the past, I remembered receiving a ton of yummy gummies last time, so I was hoping to discover some more of those tasty treats. What did we discover this time? Read below to find out!
What's Inside The Box
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Every month we receive a fun, illustrated map that usually shows where our Yums are coming from. This month's map of Indonesia included fun facts and trivia about Jakarta, Sumatra, Komodo, and Papua. Did you know Indonesia is the home of the famous Komodo dragon? Or that Sumatra is the home to the rafflesia arnoldii, the world's largest flower, which also happens to smell like a corpse? I didn't either. On the opposing side, we have the "Yum Scoreboard," which includes a list of the box's treats and an area for you to score each of them. Also included are a scavenger hunt and Yum Shop suggestions based on items you enjoyed from this box.
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Though we have visited Indonesia in the past, I am always happy to see more pictures, learn more trivia, and discover more folklore through the included booklet. Also included are the necessary nutritional and allergy warnings, but I really like the photography and recipes. The boys and I love flipping through this literature learning more about the specific country all while snacking through it.
Sugar Coated Coffee Cookies - Buy a pack of 2 for $4.00
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Back in 2019, we received a pack of these babies, and interestingly enough that was back when I didn't drink coffee...gasp! Looking back on that review, I enjoyed these thin little coffee-flavored snacks even when I wasn't a coffee drinker. Trying them this time around I found them to be one of my favorites. Lightly sprinkled with sugar and almost having a graham cracker-like texture, these cookies taste only mildly like coffee, but are absolutely fantastic with a big old glass of milk!
Banana & Cocoa Wafer Rolls - Buy a pack of 3 for $5.40
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Upon reading our handy dandy pamphlet, I learned that Indonesia is home to over 300 unique varieties of bananas. To highlight this fact, we received a nice-sized package of chocolate banana wafer rolls. I like bananas, but usually in the form of bread with lots of walnuts. I tend to prefer eating them plain while a bit on the green side and HATE banana-flavored taffy. That being said, these were pretty dang good. I found the wafer taste and texture to remind me of a Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Wafer. The addition of banana was welcomed - it spruced up the flavor and tasted natural, not artificial. All in all, we thought these were pretty dang good.
White Chocolate & Coconut Wafer - Buy a pack of 5 for $3.00
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Think Almond Joy + Kit-Kat bar equaling a delicious candy bar that I need more of in my life. The almond coating was roasted to perfection with the tastiest wafer. We all know I am sort of wafer obsessed, but this is seriously one of the best I have ever had! Sorry kids, this little piece of deliciousness was in my belly before they could even blink, not even getting a crumb of this magic.
BBQ Satay Corn Puff Balls - Buy a pack of 12 for $6.00
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My youngest son is obsessed with cheese balls to the point that everyone around him is absolutely sick of them. This BBQ satay corn puff version was a welcome change of pace and was even preferred by Charlie over the traditional cheddar puff. Larger in size, these crunchy, yet melt in your mouth morsels are salty, sweet, and a little spicy equaling the perfect snack. And how cute is this packaging? I'm definitely going to order more!
Red Chili Cassava Snack (currently sold out)
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Back in 2019, we received a package of these adorable little Tic Tac's, but in a grilled beef variety. I enjoyed those, but think I like the chili version even more. A little spicy with all the crunch, these are recommended to add to soup, which is how they eat them in Indonesia. Again, we didn't get to try that because the kids devoured these little bites faster than I could blink, so I guess that's another snack I need to add to the Yum Shop list!
Pandan & Cocoa Cream Wafers - Buy a pack of 6 for $4.50
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Another wafer! This particular version featured chocolate and pandan cream which tasted pretty on par with an American vanilla and chocolate water. I enjoyed this crisp little cookie but didn't find it as outstanding and memorable as the coconut one I tried. What did you think of this one?
Strawberry Cow Gummies - Buy a pack of 4 for $4.00
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These gummies are exactly what we were hoping for when we received the news that Universal Yums was heading back to Indonesia. Back in 2019, the Yum Shop didn't exist, so we didn't have the option of buying more...which could be considered a good thing as my boys are still obsessed with these swirly gummy cows. I do have to say that Charlie played me like a fiddle and just had to test out every color to make sure that they all were actually strawberry flavored. Little stinker!
Sweet Corn Tortilla Chips - Buy a pack of 10 for $5.00
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I'm not going to lie, these chips were unique. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about them as they sort of tasted like a traditional corn chip but with a pretty significant canned corn aftertaste. After the first two bites, I found them strangely addicting. The crunchiness was right on par and these paired with our homemade zucchini salsa were divine.
Indonesian Peach Ring Gummies - Buy a pack of 4 for $4.40
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Holy sweet is what I have to say about these peach rings! The initial flavor comparison that popped into my head was to a Smirnoff Ice Peach Bellini drink I had at my 30th birthday party. Tasty, but in very small doses! I love the look of these adorable gummies, and my boys thought these were pretty good, but not their favorite as they weren't quite sold on the peach flavoring. What did you think of these little sweet rings?
Cheesy Crackers with Cocoa Sprinkles - Buy a pack of 4 for $4.00
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Check out these jazzy little packages. Looking similar to a Pop-Tart, these are actually cheese crackers with cocoa sprinkles. Cheese and cocoa sprinkles?! Hmmm.....how did this pair? Honestly, pretty darn well. The bottom of the cracker almost has the same texture as a saltine with a glistening sugar sprinkle paired with a very slight hint of cheese. Nothing too crazy and drastic, but of a subtle savory note that completes the snack.
Fried Ramen Chips - Buy a pack of 2 for $6.60
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Spicy and sweet mie goreng noodles in a chip. It is crazy because this is exactly what they taste like! I am still trying to wrap my head around how a chip can taste like a fried noodle, but they nailed it with this version, and I am here for it. Spicy and salty, these ridged chips are fantastic. My kids both enjoyed this flavor as well, and paired with Top the Tater <---- if you haven't tried this Midwest delicacy, you are in for a treat....it was fantastic!
The Verdict
Universal Yums did it again. Two months in a row we enjoyed every item in the box. Usually, when we receive a repeat country, I worry if we will receive the same snacks again. This time we did receive a couple of the same snacks, (ones we enjoyed previously, so it was a good thing) but some in different flavors which was exciting. We found the mix of sweet and savory snacks to be well-balanced and fun, all while taking us on an educational tour of Indonesia. As a bonus, we received an 11th item this month so I'm hoping that will continue. I can't wait to see where we are headed next month! Any guesses?
Scorecard Picks:
- Favorite: White Chocolate & Coconut Wafer
- Runner-up: Fried Ramen Chips
- Worst Yum: Indonesian Peach Ring Gummies
- Most Unusual: Cheesy Crackers with Cocoa Sprinkles
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, sign up now and choose to start with either Indonesia, Taiwan, or Turkey box.
Value Breakdown: This box is $27.00 per month (including shipping). I received 11 individually wrapped snacks which average out to $2.45 per item.
Which Universal Yums snack would you most like to try?
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