SNACKIN’ ‘ROUND THE GLOBE

DAUGHTER SUZ RECEIVED A NEAT-O GIFT from a friend: a subscription to Universal Yums, a company that can provide a box of snacks from a particular foreign country each month. They strive to select a balanced collection of local snacks, some salty, some chocolatey, some bizarre. Universal Yums’ “product discovery team works directly with manufacturers in the featured country, and selects only the most delightful snacks and candies to put inside your box.” 

What’s more, Universal Yums says, “Each box also comes with an interactive guidebook to steer your adventure—including trivia, games, recipes, culture, and more!” 

There are three subscription levels: Yum Box (5–7 snacks) starting at $16 per box, Yum Yum Box (10–12 snacks) starting at $26, and Super Yum Box (15-18 snacks) starting at $41. There’s also a Shop for subscriber individual purchases. Full details are given at Universal Yums FAQ.

Worldly Snacks! Thus far, Daughter Suz’s snacks have originated from South Korea, Poland, Ukraine, and France. And, wouldn’t you know, the recent one is from The Baltics: Estonia, Latvia, and—ta da—Lithuania.

The Maple Bacon Lentil Snacks are sorta “Cheetos” with the cheese flavor replaced by maple bacon. Yum! Daughter Suz and I devoured the bag whilst watching the Shanghai Grand Prix. 

How international, eh? 

Special Snacking. We’re saving others for similarly special snacking. I’m looking forward to the Long Chips, a “mashed potato snack” from Latvia. The Nomeda bar from Vilnius, Lithuania, is a “chocolatey bar with apple + wafer + nuts.” Gee, what’s not to like? 

The Pergale (“excellent since 1952”) is “milk chocolate with cookie filling” and also Vilnius-sourced. The sweets are Jellyssimo (“blackcurrant & melon”) and Laima (a “chewy Cola Candy”). 

 Family Ratings. It’s hard to believe anyone would object to maple bacon snacks…. But Universal Yums adds to family fun by including “Play Great Expectations,” a rating sheet for before, during, and after snack sampling. 

Included as well are stick-ons to celebrate family victories (and sniveling defeats). There’s also a “Trivia Star.”

Information Galore. The other side of the Great Expectations sheet is “Welcome to The Baltics,” with six featured tidbits of local lore. I was especially moved by more than 2 million people across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joining hands in a peaceful—and powerful—protest against Soviet rule. 

“Away We Go To… The Baltics!,” Universal Yums‘ 12-page booklet accompanying the snacks, gives details: “The chain becomes the longest human chain in recorded history, spanning 419 miles. Two years later? All three countries gained their independence, ending centuries of foreign occupation.”

Indeed, see “He’s Got a Lot of Balts” for my own 1991 adventures in Latvia and Estonia. The snarky Soviets turned off the gas to Lithuania, and my host Saab had to scrap this portion of its Baltic tour.   

Note as well in the Universal Yums booklet the interactive link to “a playlist representing The Baltic’s varied music scene.” Kewl.

A Trivia Train. Each Universal Yums booklet includes “All Aboard the Trivia Train!” A sample: “At the 1992 Olympics, the Lithuanian basketball team’s jersey featured: A) A potato mascot. B) The newly made Lithuanian flag. C) A skeleton. D) A sheaf of rye. 

Answer: “Back in ’92, Lithuania had only recently gained independence from the Soviet Union and couldn’t afford to take their team to the Olympics. And this is the part where music saves the day—specifically the band The Grateful Dead. The band decided to fund the team’s trip, and in return every player wore a jersey emblazoned with a basketball-playing skeleton. Oh, and the basketball’s on fire too, because of course it is.” 

Greg Speirs’ 1992 Lithuania jerseys are now part of the country’s folklore. The Original 1992 Skullman Lithuanian Tie Dye & 25th Anniversary Jerseys are available from www.skullman.com. Image from prnewswire.com.

Not to Ignore Estonia and Latvia. I’ve focused here on my ancestral homeland, but Universal Yums includes tidbits about Baltic neighbors as well: There’s a recipe for Estonian Hakkliakaste, a one-pan dinner of ground pork and beef, onion, flour, nutmeg, garlic, chicken or vegetable stock, dill, sour cream, with pickles as garnish.

Also tidbit-worthy, the Venta Rapid in Kuldīga, Latvia, is Europe’s widest waterfall. Its width spans as much as 820 ft, though its drop is only 6 ft. And the Wedding Lock Bridge in Riga, Latvia, is decorated with padlocks engraved with dates of nuptials. The newlyweds attached the padlock, then throw away the key—the water beneath festooned with keys.

All these tidbits and snacks aplenty. Thanks, Universal Yums. ds 

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2024