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 $17.00 per month, the Yum Yum Box for $29.00 per month, or the Super Yum Box for $45.00 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 $29.00 per month.
Author's Note: The cost of this box increased last year, but now has gone back to the original price!
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
October is almost over, so a handful of my students are asking when my fun snack box is due to arrive. Making its way to my doorstep just in time for Halloween, my family was excited to see this particular box come from Scandinavia, as we have family ties in Norway and Sweden. With busy schedules and life passing us by, we were really excited to see the customary blue and white Universal Yums box sitting on our doorstep! Not only is this subscription a tasty experience, but it's educational too. Read below to find out what we discovered this month.
What's Inside the Box
1 of 7
Each and every month we receive a fun, illustrated map that shows where our Yums are coming from. This month we received a map of Scandinavia, packed with fun trivia. The back side hosts the usual Yum Scoreboard and scavenger hunt. Also included in this box is a helpful pamphlet that guides you through a typical day over in Scandinavia via trivia, recipes, photography, and activities. Delicious AND educational!
Tomato & Spice Potato Snack - Buy a pack of 2 for $4.00
1 of 3
With a Bugle-like texture, these scoop-shaped potato snacks not only have ridges, but are packed with a tomato and spice flavor. So crispy and cheesy, we all kept coming back for more. Though they do contain cayenne, garlic, and paprika, these cracker chips aren't excessively spicy, and were a hit with the adults as well as the kids.
Cocoa Filled Oat Cookies - Buy a pack of 2 for $6.80
1 of 3
Cookies are always a hit, so my family was stoked to see this large package in this month's box. Filled with crispy cocoa, these beautiful oat cookies really are show stoppers. Made into cookie sandwiches, the two layers of oat goodness are stuffed with a chocolate ganache that pairs magnificently well. Delish!
Dill & Chive Potato Chips
1 of 3
I love pickles, but find the "Old Dutch Dill Pickle" chips just too potent for my palette. The Scandinavian version is much more my style, as they combined dill and chive for a bright, but not overpowering, flavor. The potato chips themselves were crunchy, and featured my favorite shape: ridges. Overall, these chips were amazing, and I am very disappointed they aren't yet featured on "The Yum Shop."
Raspberry Gummy Skulls - Buy a pack of 2 for $6.80
1 of 3
With Halloween tomorrow, these creepy, scary, gummy skulls were the perfect inclusion for this box. Pink in color, and caked with sugar, these have a sweet and sour taste, and are very, very fruity. Raspberry is my fave, and because theses guys are ultra chewy, that delicious flavor lasts a long time. The boys were over the moon for these gummies, and have packed a few in their lunch bags for a sweet afternoon treat.
Chocolatey Cookie Dough Balls
1 of 2
I don't think there is much better in life than chocolate cookie dough balls. These creamy, spicy, chocolaty, dough-filled delights are literally mouth watering. Similar to Lindt chocolates in shape, the cookie dough on the inside is the absolute ticket, and they are divine. We received four, which would equal to one per person in our family, but I just don't know if I can share these delights!
Gingerbread Toffee
How about I keep the "Chocolaty Cookie Dough Balls" and give the rest of my family these toffees? While I like gingerbread and toffee separately, I just was not a fan of this combo. Being extra, extra spicy, the gingerbread flavor wasn't mild at all, and I honestly spit this guy out. The consistency of the toffee was fine, and would probably be fantastic with any other flavoring, but I just can't get on board with this one.
Jalapeno Pepper Popcorn - Buy a single pack for $4.00
1 of 3
Popcorn is definitely my go-to snack, but I haven't experienced jalapeño-flavored popcorn until now. This vibrant white popcorn is seasoned with a mix of jalapeño and cheese, for a savory treat. For those that don't appreciate a little spice, this snack really isn't that spicy, and my kids loved it. Some kernels are more seasoned than others, but they were all so good that the bag only lasted a couple of minutes with the four of us digging into it. Winner, winner!
Rum Icing Coated Cookies - Buy a single pack for $4.50
1 of 3
Like I mentioned above, cookies are a huge hit in our house. But I have to say, these rum icing ones didn't hit the spot. Crumbly in texture, these butter cookies were shaped nice and looked pretty, but the rum icing was bitter and odd. I was a little disappointed, as we received such a large package, but we stuck them in my husbands lunch box to see if he might appreciate them more than we did.
Brown Butter Truffles
1 of 2
I recently made a browned butter frosting recipe and swear my life changed, so I was really excited to try these browned butter truffles. I loved the cookie dough truffles, but these might be even better! With a warm, nutty, decadent middle, these truffles were absolutely out of this world and literally melt in your mouth! Again, I may or may not have hidden the rest of the truffles in a secret mom stash, so "shhhh" don't tell my kids!
Raspberry Filled Dark Chocolate Bar
1 of 4
My grandma used to buy orange and raspberry filled chocolate sticks at Christmas, and this raspberry filled dark chocolate bar was very similar to that. With a raspberry jelly, this bar is beautiful, but a little too sophisticated in flavor for me. Because I'm not a huge fan of dark chocolate, I didn't love this snack, but my husband thought it was pretty good.
Gnav
1 of 2
The last item we received was the most fun - a game! From the 1820's, Gnav was a game played by Danish and Norwegian sailors. Three or more players are required for this game, and the goal is to be the last player standing by trying to always have a higher value piece than at least one other player. While we haven't had time as a family to try this out, you can bet I have it packed for our upcoming vacation!
The Verdict
Universal Yums is one of the very best subscriptions. Our family has come to look forward to the day this magical blue and white box appears on our doorstep. Not only is this a great box for yourself, but it also makes for a very unique gift. Featuring a great curation of snacks from different countries, this box has taught us a lot about the world through food. Overall, we enjoyed most of this month's snacks, and were really excited to see the inclusion of the Scandinavian game. While this box is delicious, it is also educational and fun. We can't wait to see where we are headed in November. Any ideas?
Scorecard Picks:
- Favorite: Browned Butter Truffles
- Runner-Up: Jalapeno Pepper Popcorn
- Worst Yum: Rum Icing Coated Cookies
- Most Unusual: Gingerbread Toffee
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, as of this review's publication, if you sign up now you can choose to receive the Czech Republic, Germany, or Scandinavia box.
Value Breakdown: This box is $29.00 per month (including shipping). I received 20 individually wrapped snacks which average out to $1.45 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.