Universal Yums: Italy and Belgium

We recently enjoyed the final two boxes in our 12-month Universal Yums gift subscription: Italy and Belgium. As it turns out, they were two of my favorite boxes. As usual, each box held a variety of snacks, an informational card, booklet and sticker set. 

This is what came in the Italy box:

I’m always a big fan of the activities, articles, and trivia in each Universal Yums booklet. I learned all sorts of interesting things. Did you know that Italy holds the world record for the world’s largest truffle (4.16 lbs, sold for $61,250) and world’s largest pizza (131 feet in diameter)? Or that 10 of Shakespeare’s 38 plays are set in Italy? Venice, nicknamed the Floating City, has 117 canals and 417 bridges - wow!

So how were the Italian snacks? Delicious! I loved the tomato and oregano ring crackers and the pistachio candy bar. The jellies were fantastic, packed with flavor. I was concerned that the pepperoncini potato chips might be too spicy for me, but they weren’t at all. They were flavorful and extra crisp - fabulous! 

This was everything in the Belgium box. 

The booklet had a short article about cuberdons - we discovered those for the first time during our time in Brussels this summer. Yum! I learned that heavily-urbanized Belgium has fewer forests than the rest of Europe, but boasts the most castles per square kilometer (a total of over 3000). It is the world’s largest exporter of billiard balls. Perhaps the most interesting thing I learned is that the Brussels sprouts of my youth are not the same as the ones now. In the 1990’s, the chemical that makes sprouts bitter was identified, making it possible to breed the less-bitter sprouts that are now popular in trendy restaurants. 

I loved the Belgian snacks. My favorite was the chocolate bar filled with raspberry yogurt, but I also loved the hazelnut truffles and the apple cookies. I was confident I wouldn’t like the mustard and pickle-flavored potato chips (since I don’t like mustard or pickles very much), but they were actually pretty good! I wouldn’t necessarily buy them again, but I had no problem finishing my portion. I was also unsure about the violet candies. I don’t love floral desserts, but these were fantastic - sour and sweet and bursting with flavor. 

I've loved our year-long adventures with Universal Yums. I've learned a lot about different countries and tried foods I otherwise wouldn't have. A subscription to Universal Yums makes an excellent gift, but if you want to sample one first, I recommend buying a single box. These are affiliate links for the Italy, United Kingdom, and Korea boxes, all of which I've tried. I see that they also have the Greece box, which I haven't tried.... yet!

Universal Yums: Africa and Korea

Time for our latest Universal Yums boxes! This time, they feature Africa and Korea. As usual, each box held a nice variety of snacks, an informational card, booklet and sticker set. This is what came in the Africa box:

While a Universal Yums box usually focuses on a single country, this one covers a continent. The founder explained in the opening letter that they found suppliers who could meet compliance protocols in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Tunisia, and Egypt. They hope to offer future African boxes with a wider range of snacks. 

As usual, I started with the booklet. And, of course, my favorite part of the booklet was the trivia. Did you know that the Egyptians invented eye makeup, breath mints, bowling, and toothpaste? South Africa is home to the largest land mammal (the African elephant), reptile (leatherback turtle), and bird (ostrich). The capital of Ghana (Accra) is named for ants, which are plentiful there. A popular chicken dish in South Africa called “Walkie Talkie” is made of grilled feet and heads (hence, the walkie and the talkie). Interesting! But no thanks. The most horrifying bit of trivia involves the beloved Egyptian dish called feseekh. If you order it, be sure it is made by experts, as incorrect preparation results in violent food poisoning. Feseekh is made from rancid mullet fish, a tradition that dates the time of the pharaohs, when rotten fish were left behind when the Nile receded in the spring.

I really enjoyed an article about African cooking vessels. Do you know the origin and purpose of a potjie, tagine, sufuria, jebena, and couscoussier? You can probably guess what’s cooked in the last one if you don’t already know! A couscoussier is from Tunisia, long occupied by the French (thus the French "ier" word ending, like my last name). 

So how was the food in the box? Pretty good! The South African potato chips flavored with cape gooseberries were interesting and quite tasty, as was the Kenyan snack mix. The Ghanese plantain chips were ok; I love that they came with a fortune inside. My favorite goodies were Tunisia’s orange pound cake and Egypt’s pistachio caramel popcorn. Yum!

This was everything in the Korea box. 

I learned a lot from the booklet. Among the most interesting bits of trivia: Seoul has a Museum of Chicken Art (I'd totally visit); Kellogg's sells a version of Chex cereal in Korea that is green onion flavored; and writing names in red is bad luck because red pens were once reserved for execution orders (yikes - I'm doomed). I was intrigued by the recipe for dalgona, which they mentioned gained international fame through Squid Game. I still haven't seen Squid Game, and thus hadn't heard of dalgona. The only ingredients are sugar and baking soda, basically peanut brittle without the peanuts. I'd like to try some. There was an article at 9 K-pop stars' favorite foods. I like Korean food and have had most of the dishes mentioned, but not Korean potato pizza (#TeamJaehyun). Sounds delish! I enjoyed an article about South Korean corn dogs, as well as another article about complicated relationship been Japan and South Korean culture. 

How were the Korean snacks? Tasty! Most of it, anyway. While I would have preferred trying dalgona and potato pizza, I liked the blueberry and peach candies a lot and the chocolate-hazelnut wafer cookies were good. The honey butter pretzels were really interesting and the Choco Pie was fine. The red wheat/rice chip things were too spicy for me. 

Two more fun adventures through Universal Yums!

Universal Yums: India and the United Kingdom

Today I'm sharing the 7th and 8th boxes from our 12-month subscription to Universal Yums. This time, the featured countries are India and the United Kingdom. As usual, each box held a variety of snacks, an informational card, booklet and sticker set. 

This is what came in the India box: 

The booklet was a bit different than in previous boxes. Instead of present-day India, it focuses on a specific time period in Indian history: the Mughal Empire (1526-1857). According to an introduction by the co-founder of Universal Yums, this is the first time in their 10-year history that they've done this. It's an interesting idea. Given that I knew literally nothing about the Mughal Empire, I appreciate the education. Otherwise, I might never have known that the Mughal Empire was one of the weathiest during the Middle Ages, was famous for freedom of religion, served daily feasts of over 500 dishes to the emperor, and used three different animals as cavalry in their military (horses, camels, and elephants). 

An article called "Let's Spice Things Up" was all about the many spices found in Indian cuisine. I was hoping that the snack foods in the box didn't feature the hottest of those spices. I can't tolerate spicy food at all. I tried a (very) small sample of everything Universal Yums sent, but three of the snacks were too hot for me. Too bad - I liked the flavor, just not the pain. My favorites in the box were the Trufills and the Green Mango candies. 

This is what came in the United Kingdom box:  

Having just been in the UK, I actually knew the answers to some of the trivia questions in the booklet. You knew that Big Ben is the bell, not the clock or the tower, right? There was a fascinating article about the importance of Cavendish bananas, a recipe for Scottish oatmeal scones, and information about some of the weirdest habits of Victorian England. Anyone want to try their beauty hack of putting a drop of lemon juice in each eye? Yeah, me neither. 

So how was the food? I absolutely loved the Rhubarb & Custard Bon Bons (affiliate link). The shortbread cookie was delicious. The pickled onion rings were... intense. Interesting, but intense. I absolutely loathed the lamb and rosemary crisps. They're vegetarian, but whatever they're using to make them taste like lamb was effective. Yuck. 

The last time I posted about Universal Yums, I got an anonymous comment from someone concerned that I was eating all this processed food while fighting cancer. Were they picturing me opening the box alone and immediately scarfing down multiple bags of chips and candies? To clarify, I am not eating everything in these boxes by myself. I try a tiny sample of each item. Steve and Trevor also sample everything, as does any friend or family member who happens to be here when we open the boxes. Then, we share the leftovers with others who are interested in trying new foods. I don't blog about each person's reaction to every item, but I assure you that there are others eating the food. And there is always someone who likes something I don't, and vice versa. I would never open a box without other people around to share the experience, since that's what makes it fun. 

Universal Yums: The Baltics and Thailand

I'm back to blogging! The 2.5 week break I took preparing for, and recovering from, breast cancer surgery is the longest gap I've had in daily posts since I started blogging in 2011. I'm happy to report that the surgery went very well and I'm feeling good. I'm waiting on next steps... my post-op is tomorrow, then I wait for an appointment with the oncologist to find out what treatment comes next. You can follow my cancer journey on CaringBridge. I don't know how frequently I'll be blogging, but I'll do what I can. 

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After enjoying the goodies in our snack boxes from France and Ukraine, we were excited to get the next boxes in our Universal Yums subscription. The April box was all about the Baltics: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. As usual, in addition snacks, the box held an informational card, booklet and sticker set. 

As always, I really enjoyed learning more about these interesting countries. Did you know that public transit is free in Estonia? Nice! Or that it's illegal to wear a seatbelt on a certain18-mile road in Estonia? It's because the road is made of ice and if it gives way (!) you need to be able to evacuate the vehicle quickly. No thank you! I learned about the importance of rye in the Baltics, as well as the prevalence of mushrooms in their cuisine. There is a recipe for the Estonian comfort food, Hakklihakaste (a creamy meat gravy served over potatoes), that I would like to try. 

So how were the Baltic treats? Pretty good! You can't go wrong with chocolate. Both were tasty, but I loved how unique the one filled with apple puree was. The black currant and cola candies were each delicious. I don't really like mushrooms, but the Creamy Mushroom Long Chips were great! It's strange (and fun) to eat a crispy chip that tastes like soup.  

The May box features foods from Thailand. 

Here are some fun things I learned from the booklet. There are 13 words in Thai for different types of smiles. The New Year is celebrated with a massive water gun fight, intended to "wash off" any misfortune from the previous year. Thailand, a country that hasn't had a single flake of snowfall since 2005, has a 3-year winning streak in the International Snow Sculpture Competition. 

On to the food! I LOVED the cocoa-dusted coconut chips. I will be getting more of those for sure. The gummy strings were pretty good. The coconut corn rolls and the matcha creme biscuits were fine, but I absolutely loathed the BBQ flavored seaweed. I dared the tiniest taste of the Devil chips - ack! 

The next Universal Yums box (affiliate link) has arrived but I wanted to write this post before opening it. I can't wait to see what's inside!

Universal Yums: France and Ukraine

After thoroughly enjoying our snack boxes from Poland and other places around the world, we were eager to receive the next boxes in our Universal Yums subscription. The February box was filled with snacks from France, in addition to the informational card, booklet and sticker set. 

I made some faux pas in the etiquette quiz. I didn't know you must keep both hands on the dining table at all times. I often rest one hand in my lap while eating. I'll be sure not to do that in France! I got a perfect score on the "Could you order at a Paris bakery?" quiz. I know my baked goods. As always, I loved the trivia quiz. Did you know that the French government gives out medals to citizens who have successfully raised several children with dignity? While I think this is an excellent idea, I'm annoyed that you have to have to raise at least 4 children to qualify. (Unless you are a widowed mother whose husband was killed in action - then you can raise just 3 children with dignity.) I take great pride in having successfully raised one child past the qualifying age of 16. Anyone who raises kind, thoughtful, and hardworking children should get a medal. Or at least a well-earned nap once in a while. 

Anyway, French food - what's not to love, right? It did not disappoint. The French shortbread (sablés) were delicious and the popcorn truffles and caramels were to die for. The goat cheese and chili potato chips were great.

The March box is from Ukraine. 

Like the other boxes we've enjoyed so far, this box was filled with delicious treats, a fun booklet with Ukrainian trivia and other information, and a sticker sheet. Unlike the other boxes, this one came from a country at war. Universal Yums has been working with Ukrainian suppliers since 2017 and had starting working on a Ukraine box in January 2022. Following the invasion by Russia the following month, snacks were the last thing on anyone’s mind. The folks at Universal Yums kept in close contact, and when suppliers in some areas were safely able to resume production, work continued on this box. Getting the snacks to the Universal Yums facility was quite a process though! It took 15 days to drive them across the border to Romania, where they were put on a ship. It took 60 days for the containers to reach New Jersey, where they were assembled and mailed out. I’m glad Universal Yums continues to support the businesses and employees who are struggling to get through such a terrible time. 

Our favorite Ukrainian snack was the Trisitron Glazed Sweets. These delicious chocolates have a creamy lemon filling. They were actually developed in after the invasion using ingredients that were readily available. We also really enjoyed the Black Currant Crostata and the Adjika Bread Chips.  

I wonder what country the next Universal Yums box (affiliate link) will feature! I can't wait to find out. 

Universal Yums: Snacks (and Learning!) from Around the World

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to visit grocery stores and markets. The farther away I am from home, the more I like it. I find it absolutely fascinating to see what is for sale, how things are arranged, and what interesting stuff I can find that I wish we had at home. (Like that amazing orange juice machine in the French grocery store!) I especially love trying regional dishes and local snack foods. Food is such a huge part of culture and a great entry point for learning more about other people's traditions and customs. 

Knowing this, my mom gave our family a Universal Yums subscription for Christmas (affiliate link). It is the best gift! Each month, we get a themed box, packed with tasty snacks. This was January's box, all about Poland: 

As you can see, there's more than just snacks in the box. There's a fun info card all about Poland; the back has a Yum Scoreboard (for ranking the treats), suggestions for more Polish Yums to try, a Polish language lesson, and a scavenger hunt activity. There's a cool sticker sheet. Best of all is a 12-page pamphlet chock full of tons more fun information about Poland, a trivia game, information and nutrition facts about all the foods in the box, a list of Polish sayings, and a recipe for Zapiekanka, Poland's favorite street food. There's a QR code that leads to even more fun stuff, including bonus recipes for Poland's best foods. 

I absolutely love how educational and kid-friendly this snack box is. There's a ton of potential for learning here - between the snacking and the games and the recipes and the trivia and the language - you could plan a lot of family fun around a single box. And yet it's still fun for teens and adults. I learned a lot about Poland!

So how were the snacks? Great! Here is a sampling of what we got: 

The Monster Munch Potato Snacks, the Lemon Cream Cookies, and the Cocoa Glazed Gingerbread Sticks were our favorites. But there wasn't a single item we didn't like. 

Poland was actually our second box. We got an "Around the World" box at Christmas to tell us our gift subscription was starting. 

Like the Poland box, the Around the World box had a selection of foods, an info card with Yum Scoreboard, a sticker sheet, and a 12-page pamphlet. Rather than focusing on one country, the pamphlet talked about winter holidays around the world. The snacks in the box were from Taiwan, France, the UK, Argentina, Spain, Ukraine, and Italy. There's a trivia about countries including Peru, Norway, and Turkey, a recipe for a Swedish casserole, instructions for playing Dreidel, a game based on holiday characters including Santa Claus, Mari Lwyd, La Befana, and Gryla. It's really kid-friendly and fun to do as a family. 

Here are the foods that were in the Around the World box:

We all tried everything, of course. We loved the French macaron truffles and the Mocktail Bonbons in particular. None of us were fans of the Salted Egg Yolk Popcorn. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever had by far, but now that I've tried it, I don't need to eat it again. 

I'm really excited to get our next Universal Yums box. Thanks, Mom!