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 box had a price raise 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
It never ceases to amaze me just how fast a month can fly, and here we are already into October. With frost on the ground, and the long sunny days behind us, our family life has finally begun to slow down. One of my favorite parts of fall is cozying up in a blanket watching a funny movie—pair that with a box of snacks, and you've got yourself a fantastic family night! This box is for adults and children alike, and we couldn't wait to dive into this month's Universal Yums box and checked it out while watching "The Bad Guys." Read below to see what we thought of this month's snacks.
What's Inside the Box
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Every month we receive a fun, illustrated map that shows where our Yums are coming from. This month, our brightly colored map features Spain and includes a variety of trivia. The backside hosts the usual Yum Scoreboard and scavenger hunt. Also included in this box is a helpful pamphlet that guides you through each country via trivia, recipes, photography, and activities. To top it off, you will receive a sticker that features fun clip art from the box, along with a space to write in your name, announcing to the world that you traveled to Spain via snacks. Cool!
White Chocolate & Caramel Candies
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Our family loves M & M's, so these delicious chocolate-covered caramel treats were a hit in our household. Packaged in a fun tube with bright lettering, these were quite comparable to the American version we know and love. Our only complaint was the number of candies in the tube. For a family of four, this treat didn't last long, but was definitely in our top 5!
Honey Butter Flavored Corn Puffs - Buy a pack of 2 for $4.80
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Corn puffs are a must have for fall, and this honey butter flavored version was amazing. Soft, chewy, all while being sweet and salty, I am just about drooling as I write this! Not only were these corn puffs delicious in flavor, but the amount we received was perfect for our family as well. This bag was big enough for us enough to share, and 3 out of the 4 of us now have a baggy full for our school lunches!
Pistachio Flavored Toffees
I myself love the nutty flavor of pistachio candies, and this toffee was no exception. Chewy and nutty, this candy proved to be a bit tougher to chew at the beginning but softened up for a delicious after dinner snack. While tasty, if you have crowns or loose fillings, beware—this is some sticky stuff!
Fried Egg & Sea Salt Flavored Chips - Buy a pack of 2 for $6.80
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When doing my research, I noticed this subscription last visited Spain via treats in April 2021, so roughly a year and a half ago. On that trip we received these fried egg and sea salt flavored chips, and my viewpoint of them hasn't changed much. They definitely resemble the scent and taste of a fried egg, all packed into a chip, and I just wasn't into it. My kids weren't either. Instead of wasting, I'm thinking they may prove to be tasty crumbled onto the top of a breakfast bake. Any other suggestions?
Milk Chocolate Peanut Cream Wafer - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.60
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This milk chocolate peanut wafer was definitely my favorite of the month. I literally would have eaten an entire case of these had it been sent. Creamy, chocolatey, peanut buttery, and crispy, this was a dessert I would never pass up. They're packaged into two rolls, so I tried saving one for another sitting, but just couldn't resist. Sigh.
Sour Kiwi Flavored Gummies - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.60
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We love sour gummies, and these sour kiwi slices sure delivered. Large in size and absolutely adorable, they truly are sour, but in all the best ways. They're smothered in sugar, and slice by slice, these little fellas disappeared rather quickly. Hank was especially excited to give these a try as he loves a regular kiwi but because they make his mouth itch, he tends to avoid them, whereas he could eat a handful of these guys with no reaction involved! Yay!
Chocolate Pine Nut Candy
I have tried pine nut candy in the past and didn't enjoy it, but this version wasn't too bad. It tasted mostly like chocolate, with a natural flavor of woods on top. I thought this chewy little candy was actually pretty decent. Topped off with the pretty gold wrapping, and you've got yourself a lovely adornment for any office desk or table for when you need just a little something sweet.
Lemon Pepper Flavored Potato Chips - Buy a pack of 2 for $6.80
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These lemon pepper potato chips are one snack that left our family feeling divided. I thought these were great—I loved the sour and spicy flavor they contained and found them highly addictive. My son and husband thought they were terrible and wondered how these are even sold. My youngest said they were good, but then didn't go back for seconds, so I am sort of feeling he was just telling me he thought they were good, so I wasn't all on my own. What did you think of the lemon pepper combo?
Cocoa Dusted Salted Caramel Truffles
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I love chocolate, but I sometimes find truffles to be a bit rich for my milk chocolate preferring palette. These particular truffles are dusted with cocoa and feature a salted caramel flavoring that highlights the chocolate, all while downplaying a bit of the richness. These ones are easy to chew, and lovely to look at. I really liked this flavor combo and am happy to pack a couple in my lunch pail for a midday pick-me-up.
Spicy Mango Flavored Gummies - Buy a pack of 2 for $5.40
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Like I said above, we love gummies at our house, but weren't quite able to wrap our heads around this spicy mango version. I happen to adore spicy mango pickles, but in gummy form, I just didn't love it. My kids have been tricked by these before, and weren't falling for it again, but my husband gave one a go, and ended up spitting it out. While I didn't think they were that terrible, they just aren't something we need to try again.
The Verdict
Like I mentioned above, we visited Spain last in April 2021, so a lot of these snacks were familiar to us which can be both a good and bad thing. While loving the variation or sweet and salty snacks, and thanks to the cooler months: chocolate, I do wish we could have tried more new brands. Universal Yums is always a box we look forward to getting, so it didn't disappoint, but I would love to see some variation in the snacks and countries. Pairing the deliciousness of this box with the educational experience, this is a fun-filled experience, and we can't see where we will head to next for November. Any guesses?
Scorecard Picks:
- Favorite: Milk Chocolate Peanut Cream Wafer
- Runner-Up: Sour Kiwi Flavored Gummies
- Worst Yum: Spicy Mango Flavored Gummies
- Most Unusual: Fried Egg & Sea Salt Flavored Chips
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 Spain, South Korea, South America, or India box.
Value Breakdown: This box is $33.00 per month (including shipping). I received 16 individually wrapped snacks which average out to $2.06 per item.
Which Universal Yums snack would you most like to try?
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