August 2015 Universal Yums Subscription Box Review

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universal yums august 2015 box This month’s Universal Yums explored the intense flavors enjoyed in one of the most populous nations on earth — India!  Universal Yums is a monthly international snack subscription box. Every month you’ll take a trip to a new country and munch on brand new snacks. Yum Yum! There are two sizes of box, the Yum ($13) and the Yum Yum ($25). This is the Yum Yum box, and this subscription is a really solid subscription that shines each and every month. It’s definitely a whole-family favorite.

universal yums august 2015 unboxing
For August Universal Yums traveled to India!  If spicy and savory is your thing, you’ve come to the right place.  No Yum excursion is complete without sweets, so there are some of those too.  I love the tissue paper set up to look like the country of the month’s flag.  It’s a simple touch that makes the box even more fun to dig in to.

universal yums august 2015 theme

The intro card shares some trivia about the host country, plus a link to some music to get you in the mood… for snacking!

universal yums august 2015 card

The information card has descriptions of all the snacks. Last month they switched to a fold-out card and have provided the ingredients right on the card, instead of on the site.  The card is not as visually bold (and is harder to photograph), but it is nice to have the ingredient/potential allergen breakdown right at hand.

universal yums august 2015 unboxed

Under the flag were four big bags of crunchy snacks…..and even more below.  Multiple layers with lots to unpack.

universal yums august 2015 review
All the Yums in the August Yum Yum box.  The box is bountiful, so you can share your box without fear of missing out on a one-off item.  Four people can get a curry to nuts (literally) gorge-fest out of this box, or you can get 8 servings of a half-package each of spicy-crunchy, cookie, and candy.  Anyway you eat it, there are 12 different tastes to explore here.

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Kurkure Naughty Tomato:  The tomato paste that serves as the base flavor is bright and has a less-cooked flavor than the paste I cook with at home.  It transported me back to grade school, as the flavor was so much like the ketchup they served in our cafeteria.  Layered upon that was a modestly spicy blend of chilis, garlic, and other spices.  The puffs themselves are very much like crunchy Cheetos, but not quite as violently crunchy.

Kurkure Chilli Chatka:  This version of Kurkure amps up the heat a bit.  The same base puff is offered without the tomato flavoring, but with a healthy does of India spices.  Its a little bit like a chili-lime flavoring, without the intense zest of the lime — a low-turmeric curry.

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Lays India’s Magic Masala:  The potato chip staple we all know and appreciate, but with a pretty intense spice makeover.  The spice blend is actually hotter than the Kurkure snacks, but it also has some interesting additional flavor notes to it — the aromatics are strong, and the sweeter spices that usually play second fiddle (fenugreek, fennel) really stand out behind the heat.   The seasoning is great, and it is not straight “curry” or simply “hot.”

Chillz Spicy Potato Sticks:  The spiciest of the crunchy snacks.  Shoestring potatoes with a plain hot chili dusting.  Good for those who like spicy — but I have to note that t brought the heat without the fake flavor that pervades “chili-lime” snacks.

universal yums august 2015 IMG_6127Britannia Date Rolls:  They look like a fig Newton, but they differ in two key respects.  First, the filling is delightful date, not the lowly fig.  Second, the crust is drier and more pie-crust-like than a Newton.  It’s not flaky, buttery pastry, but closer to the dry, crumbly cookie-like pastry I associate with the Portuguese bakeries I’ve visited.

Parle Bourbon Kreams:  Chocolate creme-filled cocoa sandwich cookie with big crystals of sugar speckled upon it.  This is a nice, quality cookie, similar to an ELFudge, but with a better cocoa flavor in the cookies.
universal yums august 2015 IMG_6129Britannia Treat Mango Cream:  These reminded me of the peanut butter girl scout cookies (I think its the design).  The cookies are crispy and light in flavor.  The cream is sweet and softer than usual cookie creme filling (e.g. you could spread it rather than tear it) with a strong mango flavor.

Bansi Peanut Chikki:  a variety of peanut brittle.  I really like this version — the nuts are large and not heavily roasted, so they don’t have the really dark and heavy roasted peanut flavor, and they retain a bit of softness.  The chikki uses some unrefined “jaggery” sugar, giving it a richer flavor and a tiny bit of bend rather than snappy crispness.  I love the slight bit of softness and lighter peanut flavor.
universal yums august 2015 IMG_6130

Candyland Chili Mili:  a spicy gummy — it reminded me of the Mexico box a bit.  The texture is quite good, and the flavor is pretty spicy, yet not terrible, even in a gummy.

Candy land Jelly Amrood: a nice guava flavor permeates these soft dummies.   Like the Chili Mili, these are definitely on the soft gummy side of things rather than the jujube side.

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Umm…. some dummies are shaped like chili peppers, and some are shaped like — well, this.

universal yums august 2015 IMG_6132

Nestle Smarties:  Like oversized M&Ms.  the candy shell is a bit uneven in color, and only the orange ones are flavored.  The rest are just sweet, but they all have a chocolate center.  The coating is not as well polished or perfectly formed, giving these a bit of a rustic appeal.

Shriram Mango Ripe hard candies:  These are the most authentic mango hard candies I’ve had, and here is why:  they had the piney flavor that I get from many mangoes and have never had in a mango-flavored product.  I don’t know if this is a result of the variety of mango or inclusion of to much peel, but it is a not altogether desirable flavor note due to its intensity.  It did, however, convince me of the authenticity of the flavor of this candy.

universal yums august 2015 clue

There’s also a clue to next month’s box! Looks like we are off to Hawaii! [Brandy: I don’t know why my husband said Hawaii?! I think it’s Costa Rica] I’m pretty excited about this! Also, check out my video unboxing review!

https://youtu.be/rZC9yLYcn2A&rel=0

This is one of the consistently great snack boxes, and it is a pretty good value considering the obscurity of some of the selections and the trouble it would be to round them up yourself.  For a box that features candies and snacks catering to other-than-American consumers, we are surprised to find we thoroughly enjoy nearly all the items.  Nothing, even the spicy dummies, was inedible or outright yucky, and the majority of items were “munch-til-there-are-none-left” good.

Visit Universal Yums to subscribe or find out more.

The Subscription: Universal Yums
The Description: Each month, you’ll receive a box of unique, delicious snacks from a different country delivered right to your door. No repeats! 0% Yuck, 100% Yum.
The Price: Cost: $13 (Yum Box) $25 (Yum Yum Box) per month.
See Universal Yums in the Hello Subscription Box Directory!
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The Reviews: See all our Universal Yums Reviews.

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  • Maddy
    08.27.15

    Honestly, this is a half decent representation of Indian snacks. All of these snacks/brands are available in the Indian stores in US. As someone who buys some of these items fairly regularly, they should not cost you more than $15, even in the US.

  • Ben Miller (@benmiller412)
    08.27.15

    I doubt next month is Hawaii given the fact that the clue uses the Spanish word fiesta.

    • Brandy
      08.27.15

      I am not really sure what my husband was thinking except that he had Hawaii on the brain from his Hawaii Snack Box review. I think it’s Costa Rica probably.

  • Awkward Politics (@awkwardgov)
    08.27.15

    I oubt next month will be Hawaii given the fact that the clue uses the Spanish word fiesta