My wife, who is known for having good ideas, had a great one this past Christmas. She got me a three-month gift subscription to Universal Yums.
How it works is that each month, you get a box filled with snacks from a certain country. Some are familiar, some less so, and some are downright strange. Most of the ones I have tried are snacks that I would want to snack on again.
In the box, they also include a booklet with some background on the country and its culture, some trivia questions, and most importantly, a detailed guide to what you will be snacking upon.
My culinary journey began in Greece.
Most of these snacks come from Tottis Foods International in Florina, near the Macedonian border.
Who would have thought to put oregano on a potato chip? The Greeks, apparently. After trying these, I am wondering why it took so long to catch on here. Lay’s, however, is bringing the flavor stateside.
Pastelli is an ancient Greek snack made from sesame seeds and honey, rumored to be a favorite of Herodotus. This version, from the Papayiannis Brothers in Larissa, contains almonds as well. It’s a very simple recipe and tastes just like you’d expect it to.
I confess, I just couldn’t do the Olives in a Pack. I like to be adventurous and try new things, but I just really don’t like green olives. My mother does, however, and said they were fantastic.
Another Tottis product is the Serenata Dark Chocolate Wafer. This is basically what a Kit Kat wants to be when it grows up. It is covered with dark chocolate and filled with cocoa cream that actually lingers on the roof of your mouth when you’re done eating it. Probably best not to eat too many of these–health food they ain’t. They do come in 14 different varieties though, so I may have to seek them out. In small doses of course.
A more familiar taste is the Bread Chips, also from Tottis. These taste a lot like the rye chips you get in Gardetto’s, but lighter and, in this case, with an oniony flavor. A great snack for anytime except when you’re trying to hear the TV, as they do generate some decibels with the crunch. These also come in plain, garlic and BBQ flavors.
Universal Yums boxes also come with a baggie of smaller candies. The Greece box had Bergamot jelly candies. The Bergamot orange is a citrus fruit popular in Greece and Turkey. You might know it as a flavoring in Earl Grey tea. So if you can imagine a bon bon that tastes like Earl Grey, you’ll be on the right track.
Rounding out the Greek candies are Bliss Cocoa Toffee and a Derby Chocolate bar, which is a cross between a Nestle Crunch, a Mounds and something you would get in a vending machine in heaven. Far more decadent than a typical American candy bar (which I like anyway).
Next up, France!