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, but 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 $19.00 per month, the Yum Yum Box for $33.00 per month, or the Super Yum Box for $51.00 per month. (You also have the option to save by purchasing a 3,6-, or 12-month plan.)
This review is of the Yum Yum box, which is $33.00 per month.
Author's Note: This particular box did go up in price in recent months.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
These past couple of weeks, our life has been all about baseball, baseball, baseball. With each of my kids playing on different teams, different nights of the week, we surely can't keep up with concession stand prices, so we were definitely happy to see the Universal Yums box show up on our doorstep to help us stock up on baseball-appropriate snacks. While we did go through the box together and taste tested all of this month's items first, we packed our favorites in zip lock baggies and loaded up our cooler for nights at the ballpark. Not only did we get to enjoy the snacks this way, but a couple of our friends did too! Read below to see what we thought of this month's treats.
What's Inside The Box
1 of 7
Every month we receive a fun, illustrated map that shows where our Yums are coming from. This month, our brightly colored map depicts India with a variety of trivia. The backside hosts the usual Yum Scoreboard and scavenger hunt. Also included in this box is a lovely pamphlet that guides you through each country via trivia, recipes, photography, and activities. Sometimes we receive a sticker, but the last couple month's it has been missing. This month though, we received an updated version of the traditional sticker, complete with a space to write your name. Neat!
Mini Lentil Samosas - Buy a pack of 2 for $7.20
1 of 3
In the past I have made samosas, but found the process tedious and too time consuming. Since then, I don't think I've had a samosa, especially one filled with spicy lentils, cashews, and raisins. With a sweeter seasoning than savory, I found I prefer these little guys heated up rather than room temp. Crunchy, and packed with flavors, the boys and I liked this yum okay, but thought we might have enjoyed them more had they been packed with meat instead.
Coconut Flavored Sugar Cookies - Buy a pack of 6 for $5.40
1 of 3
Look at these "nice" little cookies! Rectangular in shape and embossed with the word "NICE", these coconut flavored sugar cookies were a hit this month with our family. Being not too sweet, with only a hint of coconut, these paired very nicely with a cup of coffee or milk and were the perfect size for a little snack. Charlie mentioned dipping the ends of these into chocolate and adding sprinkles for Santa, as he obviously is on the "nice" list. Too bad they didn't even last a day, let alone until Christmas!
Dark Choco Flavored Sandwich Cookies
1 of 3
Another tasty treat we received this month was a package of chocolate flavored sandwich cookies. Because Universal Yums tends to avoid things that will easily melt in the summer months, we usually don't get much chocolate, but I was happy to see some of that delicious stuff in the form of a cookie. Light and creamy, the filling was the perfect addition to the chocolatey biscuits, and our entire family enjoyed them - especially with a big glass of milk!
Tikka Masala Corn Chips - Buy a pack of 4 for $4.40
1 of 3
Ohh lala! These tasty little chips are spicy!! Similar to a Dorito in shape and texture, we found the spicy tikka masala seasoning to be a delicious surprise. Paired with a little jalapeño cheddar dip, these chips are darn delicious. Packing the remnants of these guys into a baggie for the ballfield, Hank's teammates also enjoyed the spicy seasoning, likening them to Takis.
Creamy Pistachio Flavored Candies - Buy a single pack for $7.70
Interestingly enough, my oldest son chomped into one of these Indian ice cream cake candies before reading the description, and declared it tasted just like lime. Intrigued, I tried it and agreed, only to find out it is pistachio flavored. Tasty either way, this layered candy was soft, milky, and summer-like. Going back after reading the description, I could pull out the nutty flavor of the pistachio, but to us it tasted more like lime. Weird!
Caramel Choco Eclairs - Buy a single pack for $46.30
You give me a caramel and I am one happy girl. Smooth, creamy, and utterly delicious, this caramel choco eclair is perfectly sweet and chewy. I loved the surprise of the chocolate, and felt the flavors blended together perfectly. Definitely one of my favorites in the box, as well as the boys'.
Apricot Flavored Hard Candies - Buy a single pack for $47.40
Honestly, apricot isn't one of my favorite fruit flavors – this fruity candy with a milky center just didn't do it for me. While it wasn't terrible, I just didn't love the combination, so this one went into my husband's lunch pail stash. The kids also weren't that impressed with this candy and were just fine when I mentioned giving the rest to dad. At least we gave them a shot, right?
Soan Papdi - Buy a single pack for $4.30
1 of 4
Now this was one of the most interesting snacks I have ever received from Universal Yums. Indian cotton candy with nuts and cardamom, packaged in a box, and shred like birch wood. How fascinating! Sweet, melt in your mouth, and full of texture, I thought this treat was really quite delicious, while the boys couldn't get over the strangeness of it to like it. While it is definitely not like our traditional cotton candy, I thought this was really cool to try.
Sweet & Salty Rice Flakes - Buy a pack of 2 for $7.60
1 of 3
Another interesting inclusion we received was this sweet and salty mix of sago and rice flakes. A trail mix of dried peas, nuts, rice flakes, and palm starch, I wasn't sure what to expect, but found myself loving the sweet and salty combo. Munching by the handful, I found this really appetizing, as did my oldest son Hank. When Charlie tried it, he said it was disgusting, as did my husband. I'm not sure if they didn't get a well-rounded mix or what, but I had to agree to disagree with their opinions on that one. Hank actually enjoyed it so much, he packed up a Ziplock bag full for in-between games!
Mixed Nut Butter Cookies - Buy a pack of 3 for $4.50
1 of 3
To finish out this month's Universal Yums, we received a tasty little box of almond and pistachio cookies. Like the last pistachio treat, my son mentioned tasting notes of lime in these cookies, but really enjoyed them. With not too much almond, these crunchy bites were perfectly chewy, and made for a great after dinner treat. No disagreements here, these cookies were delish!
The Verdict
After looking back through past reviews, it looks like the last time Universal Yums headed to India was in 2015 - prior to me reviewing this box, so I have never received snacks from India before! As it is always exciting to experience treats from a new country, we really enjoyed this month's curation of sweet and salty snacks. Interestingly enough, our family was divided on more treats than ever with this box, but it worked out as that was nothing was wasted. Along with discovering fantastic foods, we also learned that India has 22 official languages, that the village of Kodinhi is home to over 400 twins, and that when you visit Karni Mata Temple be ready to meet the holy rats! Yummy and educational, Universal Yums is a fun experience through and through. Any guesses where we will be headed next month?
Scorecard Picks:
- Favorite: Coconut Flavored Sugar Cookies
- Runner-Up: Sweet & Salty Rice Flakes
- Worst Yum: Apricot Flavored Hard Candies
- Most Unusual: Soan Papdi
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 you can choose to receive the Thailand or India box.
Value Breakdown: This box is $33.00 per month (including shipping). I received 19 individually wrapped snacks which average out to $1.73 per item.
Which Universal Yums snack would you most like to try?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.