Yums from Around the World! Part 3–Poland

May 4, 2018March 20, 2019 - Scott Leave a comment

And now, for the final chapter in our Universal Yums trilogy, we head to Poland. This box was a little heavy on the candy, but we’ll start with the savories.

First, in the box in the picture, we have Tapsy Cheese and Onion potato chips. These have the flavors of a pierogi baked into a crisp that has a texture somewhere between a Pringle and a rice cake–light, but somewhat substantial at the same time. I killed this bag fairly expediently.

Moving to the right, we have Beskidzkie Paprika Peanuts from Aksam, a family-owned snack food company founded in 1993. Paprika is as common in Polish food as salt and pepper is here. These peanuts are coated with a light cracker crust, then dusted with paprika, which gives them a subtle spice and smokiness that is not overwhelming. Beskidzkie peanuts also come in plain and cheese & onion flavors (I think I’m seeing a trend here).

On to the candy. . .

Below the paprika peanuts, we have Krowki Milky Cream Fudge. “Krowki” means “little cows.” Apparently, the Polish are really into sweetened condensed milk. Mix that with butter and sugar, and you get these sweets that are somehow not sticky.

To the left, in the red wrappers are Razcki Lobster Tails from Wawel. These take some getting used to, but it didn’t take me long. They are basically rum-flavored peanut brittle surrounded by a hard, minty shell, imitating the hard exterior of an actual lobster tail. This was my favorite treat in the box.

Above those is a Chocolate Plum from Dobosz in Trzebiez on the Szczezenski Reservoir in the northwest corner of Poland. This is pretty much what it sounds like–a filling made of prunes (from California, oddly enough) coated in cocoa, then dipped in dark chocolate. If you already like those flavors, rest assured they go well together.

Above that is a Milkizz, also from Wawel. Remember when I mentioned that the Polish are REALLY into sweetened condensed milk? It appears that the thing now is to buy it in a tube and squeeze it onto everything. Sounds a little strange, but not really, if you’ve ever done this:

(Disclaimer: I have never actually done that.)

(Disclaimer # 2: Neither should you.)

In any case, the Milkizz bar gives you the sweetened condensed milk experience wrapped up inside a chocolate bar, so what’s not to like?

And finally, we come to the Soleo Caramel Pretzels. Imagine Pocky sticks, except with a pretzel instead of a cookie and coated with the same milky cream fudge as the Krowki. I have been saving these, because they’re the last item of my Universal Yums subscription, and I’m kind of sad to see it end.

It doesn’t have to though.

Subscriptions start at $14/box for the basic size (like this one). There is also a Yum Yum box at double the size, and now, even a Super Yum box at TRIPLE the size. Subscriptions are available in one, three or six-month intervals.

So if you’re looking to add some adventure into your snack life, go GETCHA SOME!

Yums from Around the World! Part 2–France

May 3, 2018June 13, 2018 - Scott Leave a comment

So I finished off the box of Universal Yums from Greece and began the wait for the next one. There was a hint in the booklet that came in the Greece box that made me think the next one might be coming from France. I guessed correctly. Here’s what was inside:

Universal Yums from France — Clockwise from top right: Basil Pesto Crepes, Raspberry Madeleines, Almond Financiers, Black Truffle Chips, Caramels with Chestnut Cream, Fruit Filled Hearts, Violet Dark Chocolate Bar

OK, let’s start with those Basil Pesto Crepes. That sounds odd to American ears, because we are used to eating crepes with some kind of sweet or fruit filling, like the ones you get at IHOP. The story goes that back in 1882, in Quimper, France, the owner of a crepe shop covered for a batch of burnt crepes by rolling them up and calling them “lace crepes.” She sold her recipe to Gavottes, who still makes them today.

These look a lot like the Combos snacks that I ate about a billion of as a teenager while working the concession stand at our local pool. The texture of the shell, however, is far lighter and flakier.

As for the basil pesto filling? It’s not subtle at all. I tried one and thought I was chewing a mouthful of fresh basil leaves. It was a bit overwhelming. Then I tried another and tasted the more understated flavors of cheese, olive oil and a hint of garlic. I thought, “Interesting, but I probably won’t ever crave this.” Then I ate 7 or 8 more. By the time I got to the bottom of the bag a couple of days later, I wanted about a pound of these things.

You can’t have French food without pastries, so here we have Raspberry Madeleines and Almond Financiers from Roullier Bakery. My wife and daughter were big fans of these. The Madeleine is a shell-shaped cake with fresh raspberries folded into the batter. Financiers are little pound cakes shaped like gold bricks, originally baked for bankers in France’s financial district in the 19th century.

Several different candies in this box. We have caramels filled with chestnut cream from Klaus. Remember those Brach’s Milk Maid Royals we used to get when we were kids? The ones that had funky-flavored cream fillings like maple and orange? These are kind of like that, only fancier. We also have Fruit Filled Hearts from Kubli, a fourth-generation confectionery in Paris. These are heart-shaped bon bons with an apple flavor.

The sweet that got my attention was the Violet Dark Chocolate Bar, also from Klaus. I love me some dark chocolate, and this bar was big–a full 100 grams. (That’s just over 3 1/2 ounces for those of you who don’t metric. Like me.) I didn’t think too hard about the word “violet,” figuring that the chocolate might have had some kind of purple tint or something. I really wasn’t paying attention. Then I unwrapped it and smelled. . .

Oh. You mean “violet” as in “flower.” Mmmkay. I looked at the ingredients, and indeed, this chocolate bar is generously sprinkled with “violet chips,” which also contain apple and pineapple to tamper down the floral taste a bit. But it’s still very much there. I did finish this (because chocolate), with some help, but unlike the Basil Pesto Crepes, I am fairly certain I won’t be craving violet chocolate again anytime soon.

OK, you may have noticed that I skipped over the Black Truffle Chips from Sibell. This is because the mere thought of them would have distracted me from writing the rest of this post.

First of all, if you don’t know about truffles, they are a species of mushroom. What is different about a black truffle is that they only grow on living trees and plants, typically by the roots.

Anyone who knows me knows that the one food product I despise above all others is the mushroom. Can’t stand the smell, the taste, or in many cases, the texture. I am still traumatized by the dinner where my parents served fried mushroom caps and didn’t tell me what they were. They were about the same size, shape and color as a sausage patty, so I grabbed a couple. No one stopped me. I took a big bite and. . .well. . .much unpleasantness ensued.

My dad thought it was hilarious. In retrospect, it was a good lesson in attention to detail and speaking concretely. Apparently I had asked, “Are these sausages or something?” Dad just said, “Yes,” because they were “something.” So he wasn’t lying, really; I just asked the wrong question.

Now I mention all that to say this. As much as I hate mushrooms, truffles are another matter entirely. White truffle oil on french fries is excellent, for example. But these black truffle chips. . . oh…my…dog.

I opened the bag while my wife and I were watching TV. She braced herself for the violent gross-out reaction she expected from me. Then I tried just one chip, and I was like. . .

via GIPHY

These chips tasted like the best smoked meat I had ever had. Nothing mushroomy about them. I ate the whole bag. Then I licked my fingers. Then I wanted to eat my own fingers. Then I didn’t want to wash my hands for days just so I could SMELL the memory of these chips on my fingers.

Alton Brown once said of truffles on Iron Chef, “Those are better than 97% of the sex you will have during your lifetime.” I can neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of that statement.

Next up–Poland!

Yums from Around the World! Part 1–Greece

May 2, 2018June 13, 2018 - Scott Leave a comment

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.

Universal Yums from Greece — Clockwise from top left: Oregano potato chips, Sesame pastelli with almonds, Green olives with fennel and coriander, Dark chocolate wafer, Onion bread chips, various candies.

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!