UNIVERSAL YUMS HOLIDAY BOX 2019 REVIEW

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Our family has been getting Universal Yums for more than two years now, far and away the longest time we've ever committed to any subscription box. It's become a bit of a night time ritual in our house; we eat dinner, clear the table, then the kids get to pick one Yum each from our latest box, and we all get to taste their choice. I read about the Yums they choose, and then sometimes we have witty conversation. Sometimes we don't, but that's kids for you. When Universal Yums started sending a Holiday Box back in 2017 (the first year we got a box in December), we were pretty excited. We love that they've kept up with the tradition, every year giving us new things to try from other countries' holiday celebrations, and 2019 is no exception. (read more) 

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UNIVERSAL YUMS HOLIDAY BOX 2019 UNBOXING AND TASTE TEST VIDEO

This was one of the rare times that we were able to make a video not just with unboxing, but also with us trying the Yums. Normally I open the box and show everyone what's inside, but this year Universal Yums sent me a Yum Yum Box in advance of my normal Super Yum Box, so we've tasted everything and given you our candid thoughts. 

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UNIVERSAL YUMS HOLIDAY BOX 2019
ORDER DATE CUT OFF

I'm putting this section before everything else because it's very important to know that if you want the Holiday Box by Christmas this year, you will need to order on or before December 9, 2019. 

You can order the Holiday Box at any time up to, and including, Christmas Day, but it will not get to you by Christmas (without paying expedited shipping) unless you order by the 9th. 

You can order after the 9th and pay expedited shipping, or you can order by the 25th and still get the box, but it'll come after Christmas if you don't choose expedited shipping.

If you sign up for a subscription after December 25th, your first box will be the January box.

You can order the Holiday Box as a one time box or a subscription. If you already have a subscription, you don't need to do anything special. Your Universal Yums Holiday Box will show up on your door step as usual.

You can check out Universal Yums and order your box or subscription here.

Let's talk about what comes in the box.

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UNIVERSAL YUMS HOLIDAY BOX 2019
WHAT COMES INSIDE

Universal Yums offers three different boxes, so the box you choose will determine what you get, specifically. 

We get the Super Yum box, but at the time of this post it wasn't in our hot little hands yet. I will definitely update the post once we do get the Super Yum Box in the mail (likely around the 15th of December).

The items I show you here are what will come in the Yum Yum Box. You'll get more foods in the Super Yum Box, less in the Yum Box.

If you want to scroll through the snacks, here's a gallery. I'll talk about each snack below as well. I was able to pull most of these directly from Universal Yums, but some I had to snap shots from the Holiday Adventure book that came with our Yum Yum Box. 

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MR. ITO'S PRETZEL SAND ALMOND CARAMEL

When I first read the name of this Yum in the book, I thought it was a typo. I even wrote an email to Universal Yums asking if they had it printed right in the book. Then I read the WHOLE description. I had to send another email asking them to totally disregard the first email. 

That was fun.

This yum is, as my youngest son described it, like a thin Nutter Butter. The Almond cream does have a nutty taste, and the caramel lends sweetness to it. The sandwich part of the equation (hence the SAND in the name) is very thin and crispy. 

It's a light, airy, subtly sweet sandwich cookie. Thankfully, you get a lot of them!

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BUNDNER NUSSTORTLI ALPINE NUT CAKE

I wish we'd gotten more than one of these, they were just so yummy. It's a very soft dome shaped bread/cookie filled with gooey, caramelized walnuts.

​What's not to like?

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SHOKOMONK ROASTED ALMOND

This chocolate bar was an unexpected treat. We knew it had roasted almonds, but we didn't know the almonds were caramelized. It was a bit like eating a Toblerone! 

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JABRI MIXED BAKLAVA

Baklava is, hands down, my husband's favorite holiday treat, so when the boys and I made our video, we were sure to save him a few pieces. You get six pieces of Baklava and a "bird's nest" Baklava. If thing, crispy filo dough and mouth watering honey are your thing, you're going to love this Yum.

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WHITE CINNAMON COOKIE BELGIAN CHOCOLATE

This is a full size bar of cinnamon cookie white chocolate all the way from Belgium. I think there were 8 or 10 large (1 1/2 x 1 1/2 pieces) sections, plenty to share with the family. It was very rich as well, so a little goes a long way.

​It would be perfect on a crisp night with a cup of coffee or tea!

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SIBELL POULET BRAISE CHIPS

These chips were amazing! If you went to your local grocery store, purchased a roasted chicken, pureed it, then turned it into potato chips, this would be the result. 

It really tasted JUST like a roast chicken! 

Our cockatiel loved it, the little cannibal.

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KOPERNIK SERCA TOURUNSKIE

Gingerbread is one of those things that can be really hit or miss for me. If it's too spicy, I'm not a fan. If it's too crunchy, I'm not a fan.

Thankfully, this was neither too spicy nor too crunchy.

The spices are complimented with a black currant icing that covers the top of the gingerbread. The cookie itself is soft, yet chewy, with a slow building flavor that is just amazing when it hits you. 

​When we get our Super Yum box, I'll be hiding them and having them with my morning coffee. 

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TARALLI CON SEMI DI FINOCCHIO

As my oldest son put it so succinctly, "If garlic knots and bread sticks had a baby, this would be the result."

He's not wrong! 

They're tasty, crunchy, and wonderfully savory.

​Perfectly snackable.

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KOESTLIN GARLIC SALTAS

When I read that these were salted filled sticks, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Were they filled with salt? If so, I didn't think I'd like it very much.

They are not filled with salt, in case you were worried. What they are filled with is wonderful, buttery, garlicky goodness.

It's like a savory Pocky!

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SNACKGOLD RASPBERRY POTATO CRISPS

I believe we got these last year in the Spain box, and since Spain was also the November 2019 box, I believe we have them waiting for us when the kids decide they're in a chip mood. 

It's not a flavor I thought I'd like; a sweet, fruity flavor in a potato chip. But, if you think about it, you sort of get sweet and fruity when you eat barbecue chips, and this really isn't any different. 

The chips smell and taste of raspberries, and the sweetness is balanced with a wonderfully savory salt.

They're delicious, I can't wait to eat them again!

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AUER TORTENECKEN A LA WIENER APFELSTRUDEL

This was one of my favorite Yums in the box, so thankfully there was a lot of it! It's a square of wafer that can be broken down into four, apple pie shaped slices. 

The wafers are filled with a smooth, decadent, strudel flavored cream that melts on your tongue and makes you want another slice of pie!

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ALFAJORCITO NUBELATE CREMA AMERICANA

These cookies were not at all what I was expecting. 

I knew they were cookies filled with vanilla cream, but the chocolate coating made me think the cookies would be softer, more cake like. So, when I cut into it to split it among myself and my boys, we all got a laugh when all I did was smoosh the cookie down onto the filling, causing it to spurt out the sides. 

Instead we passed it around and all took a bite, until my 9 year old got a hold of it and finished it off. 

The cookies are crisp and chocolatey, and the cream is rich and delicious, definitely worth licking off your fingers!

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GOLDILOCKS UBE POLVORON

If you've never had Ube, it can be difficult to imagine what it tastes like, so let me help you out. 

Ube is a bright purple sweet potato, and it carries a similar flavor of something you might eat at your Thanksgiving dinner. It's sweet, but fruity, enough so that you are left thinking it must surely be some type of berry.

The cookie itself is a fabulous short bread, so crumbly that it breaks easily (perfect for sharing) and dissolves on your tongue when you put it in your mouth. 

It's a taste and texture you'll remember long after you've savored the last bite.

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FINAL THOUGHTS AND 2019 RECAP

Where did we "visit" in 2019? Here's a recap that came with our Holiday Box! We can't wait to see where 2020 takes us!

I used to be, admittedly, a subscription box junkie. I've had all sorts of boxes, but none have held their value enough for me to keep wanting to pay the monthly (or yearly) fee. 

Universal Yums is the first (and only) box that not only keeps my whole family interested, but keeps their price point in a place that I can easily afford and justify. 

We love trying snacks from other countries each month. I love the family time it brings after dinner, the little bit of learning paired with a tasty treat, and how excited the kids get when they see that blue and white box in the mail. 

We play the games, do the trivia, read all about the places we're "visiting" and just thoroughly enjoy not just the food, but the entire experience. 

The Holiday Box is no different, and maybe it's even better. Thanksgiving and Christmas are very special times of the year, and it's so much fun to know how other cultures celebrate their own special occasions each year. 

I hope you love your Yum Box, Yum Yum Box, or Super Yum Box. Just be sure to order by December 9th if you want to get it in time for Christmas. 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am always happy to help, if I can.

Ty

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