Universal Yums: Turkey!
As one of my birthday presents, Jethrien and ARR got me three months of “Universal Yums” boxes, a subscription service that sends themed packaged snacks from different parts of the world. My box of Turkish treats didn’t include Turkish Delight (boo!) but had some interesting options:
Otto Nuts Salted Roasted Chickpeas - Taste shockingly close to roasted peanuts, but the texture is more crumbly after the first bite and reminds me more of halva. I can see how this would be a common snack to cover with various seasonings.
Today Coffee-flavor Snowball - This is very similar to the common American snowball snack cake. It’s a chocolate cake filled with oil-based “cream filling”, covered in frosting and coconut. It might be a bit higher-quality than the American version, but more importantly, it has a really good coffee flavor, and that forgives a lot of sins. This was the winner of the batch.
Ulker Krispi Tirtikli Baharat Spice Chips - Wheat cracker-chips that taste very similar to the American “pizza” flavor used on various chips. (Which, as has been noted, doesn’t particularly taste like pizza.) The bag actually calls it “taco flavor”, but it’s not really that either. Garlic, onion, oregano, vague cheesiness, something kinda tomato-y. Not bad, but you can get the same experience from Pizza-flavored Goldfish crackers.
Tatsan Vanilla Tahini Halva - I object to the “vanilla” on the label, given that it contains no vanilla and doesn’t taste like it. It tastes like sweetened sesame because that’s what it is. This particular halva is a little on the dry side and the texture is a little gluey; it’s clearly the cheap stuff. I’ve been spoiled by high-quality halva (my mother loves it), preferably coated in good chocolate. (I didn’t bother sharing this with the rest of the family; Jethrien thinks halva feels and tastes like sand.)
Mastic Toffees - Mastic, I have learned, tastes like pine sap with a minty overtone. I honestly found it vile and had to spit it out. Jethrien (who also likes gin and other heavily herbal flavors) apparently liked it.
Toffix Melon and Lime Chews - Exactly what it says on the pack; they’re a chewy candy that tastes like melon and lime. Good for clearing the taste of mastic out of your mouth.
Bebeto Sour Watermelon Gummies - Exactly what you’d expect, they taste like watermelon candy and they’re pretty good. They aren’t particularly sour, though. ARR gave these the highest marks.
Lush Mosaic Cocoa Cream Cookies - The “cream” part and the picture on the package imply the filling is gooey; it’s not. These are pretty (with a choco-vanilla swirl pattern on the outside), but taste like any other crunchy butter cookie, with a little chocolate Oreo filling inside.
Otto Nuts Salted Roasted Chickpeas - Taste shockingly close to roasted peanuts, but the texture is more crumbly after the first bite and reminds me more of halva. I can see how this would be a common snack to cover with various seasonings.
Today Coffee-flavor Snowball - This is very similar to the common American snowball snack cake. It’s a chocolate cake filled with oil-based “cream filling”, covered in frosting and coconut. It might be a bit higher-quality than the American version, but more importantly, it has a really good coffee flavor, and that forgives a lot of sins. This was the winner of the batch.
Ulker Krispi Tirtikli Baharat Spice Chips - Wheat cracker-chips that taste very similar to the American “pizza” flavor used on various chips. (Which, as has been noted, doesn’t particularly taste like pizza.) The bag actually calls it “taco flavor”, but it’s not really that either. Garlic, onion, oregano, vague cheesiness, something kinda tomato-y. Not bad, but you can get the same experience from Pizza-flavored Goldfish crackers.
Tatsan Vanilla Tahini Halva - I object to the “vanilla” on the label, given that it contains no vanilla and doesn’t taste like it. It tastes like sweetened sesame because that’s what it is. This particular halva is a little on the dry side and the texture is a little gluey; it’s clearly the cheap stuff. I’ve been spoiled by high-quality halva (my mother loves it), preferably coated in good chocolate. (I didn’t bother sharing this with the rest of the family; Jethrien thinks halva feels and tastes like sand.)
Mastic Toffees - Mastic, I have learned, tastes like pine sap with a minty overtone. I honestly found it vile and had to spit it out. Jethrien (who also likes gin and other heavily herbal flavors) apparently liked it.
Toffix Melon and Lime Chews - Exactly what it says on the pack; they’re a chewy candy that tastes like melon and lime. Good for clearing the taste of mastic out of your mouth.
Bebeto Sour Watermelon Gummies - Exactly what you’d expect, they taste like watermelon candy and they’re pretty good. They aren’t particularly sour, though. ARR gave these the highest marks.
Lush Mosaic Cocoa Cream Cookies - The “cream” part and the picture on the package imply the filling is gooey; it’s not. These are pretty (with a choco-vanilla swirl pattern on the outside), but taste like any other crunchy butter cookie, with a little chocolate Oreo filling inside.