Universal Yums May 2017 Review
Universal Yums is a monthly food subscription service. For $14 (or $25) you get 6+ (or 12+) candy and snack items from a different country. It's a nice way to get just a taste of another culture without having to endure the terrifying world of air travel. Check them out here: UY
May brings us the country of JAPAN (which I believe was the country we had in our very first UY box - and I'm okay with that). Here's some trivia for you (answer at the end of the post): You can get the following out of a vending machine in Japan: A.Underwear; B.Live lobsters; C.Beer; D.Surgical Masks.
Mame Mix: Seems like this is Japan's answer to an American nut mix but in theirs, not only do they have peanuts, but there are peas, broad beans, and seaweed peas (like a crunchy cracker shaped in a ball covered in seaweed bits). All are coated in a little bit of soy sauce. All are freakin' delicious.
Everyburger Cookie: OMG these things are so cute! They look just like little baby hamburgers, down to the sesame seed buns and cheese slices. They taste pretty damn good, too. Just like a sweet vanilla cookie but with a little hunk of solid chocolate in it.
Kasugai Kiwi Gummies: Apparently this is the only repeat item from their first Japan box in 2015. These are absolutely delicious and even have little kiwi seeds inside the gummy.
Ribon Nama Ume Candy: The hard candy is delicious but the middle is filled with salt pickled plums. They're actually not that bad - unlike those salt candies from some god forsaken country last year. I don't PREFER to have a candy end on a salty note but I'm not totally mad at it.
Umaibo Teriyaki Burger & Gyutan Flavor: These are those long tube shaped snacks made from corn and taste like whatever flavor is sprinkled on top. The Teriyaki Burger flavor is okay, kinda salty. But the Gyutan flavor is just ick. Gyutan is beef tongue, by the way.
Sakuma Matcha Milk Candy: These taste basically just like lightly sweetened green tea. Very nice.
Bourbon Petit Caramel Rice Crackers: I don't get the consistency of rice crackers in these treats. They're more like a cross between a butter cookie and melba toast. Super super sweet, I can understand why these are usually paired with green tea in Japan. Nice contrast of flavors.
Rakka Ame Candy: These candies are kind of like peanut brittle but not quite as hard. They crumble and dissolve a little quicker but still have a great salty roasted peanut flavor. Very good!
TRIVIA ANSWER: Trick question! All of the above are correct answers. Underwear, live lobsters, beer, and surgical masks are sold in vending machines in Japan, just not all in the same one.
The clue for next month leads us to believe the goodies will be coming to us from Mexico!