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Subscription Addiction: MunchPak Wants To Expand Your Snack Horizons

By Kristy Puchko | Food Porn | October 26, 2016 |

By Kristy Puchko | Food Porn | October 26, 2016 |


Of all the subscriptions I’ve tried, I have a soft spot for the foodie ones. So when I heard about the internationally inspired MunchPak, I was eager to give it a go.

How It Works:

Of the subscriptions I’ve tried so far, this one had the most flexibility in its options. First off, you choose a size.

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Then frequency, ranging from weekly to biweekly to monthly. The default is a mystery box scenario of a mix of snacks, salty and sweet. But for some extra cash, you can customize. I chose to roll the dice with the Original MunchPak, and opted for the drink option, which demands an additional fee of $5.

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How It Went:

While Try The World and Universal Yums include a pamphlet to guide you through the theme, snacks, and ingredients in their boxes, Munchpak’s flexibility requires a more adaptable explainer. An instructional insert directs you to download a free app to learn more about your snacks.

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I did, and within moments was scanning the barcodes to get the 411 on my munchies. There’s a satisfying check-out style beep that sounds when the barcode is scanned. And then you get a read out like the one below that gives a brief description, country of origin, price (in case you want to buy more), and the option to review. You can also click the heart to bookmark your favorite pieces for repurchasing later.

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Panda: All Natural Raspberry Licorice
I feel like there’s wordplay in that last line of product copy that got lost in translation or something. Anyhow, this is not licorice as I know it. Rather than the texture of Twizzlers or Red Vines, this bar is THICK, demanding you to really bite and grind to get through. The flavor is vaguely raspberry, mostly just sweet. And the texture is like soft wax. It’s a miss.

When the app doesn’t work—as was the case with Nimm 2 hard candies—you get this guy.

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So here’s my snapshot:

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Storck: Nimm 2 Multi-vitamin Candy
“Nimm2, the fruit with the delicious filling and vitamins, has been available since 1962 in the popular flavors orange and lemon. Since then it is one of Germany’s best known sweets!
With delicious fruit juice nimm2 is popular with all big and small sweets.”
(Translated from the candy company’s website)

Okay, so it’s orange-flavored hard candy that’s ostensibly good for you. And it’s pretty damn delightful. Smooth in texture and tasting like fresh out-the-peel oranges, it’s a refreshing treat that’s tasty and perfect for cold and flu season. When you get to the center, the hard candy gives way to a sweet citrusy liquid center. These are great. They’re going in my purse for snacking on the always.

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Morinaga Hi-Chew
Again, not getting the end of the copy here. But these too are delightful. Sensationally squishy taffy is punctuated by bits of candied orange peel. And the flavor is subtly citrus with a warm sweetness and the fresh bit of sour of an actual orange! Man, I raised an eyebrow at the idea of orange peel candy, but Hi-Chew knows what they are doing.

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Mammos Cola Flavored Hard Candy
Though the design on the bag seems to be suggesting a Coca Cola flavor, this candy has a sweeter, less bitter taste that’s almost fruity. It’s cola-ish. But more importantly, it’s delicious. Like drool-inducing. And there’s something in it that weirdly gives you the sensation of soda bubbles breaking on your tongue. Man, America. I am learning our hard candy game is all kinds of weak.

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Suntory: Honey Lemongina “French Lemonade”
It’s Suntory time! This bubbly brew is honey-lemonade plus seltzer. Once you’ve had it, you may well marvel you’ve never made it before. On its own, it’s nice. With a splash of bourbon, it’s magical. Not sold on whether it’s worth the sticker price though.

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Dora3: Croissant with Apricot Filling
Calling this a croissant is cruel. Its texture isn’t flaky, but more like a hot dog bun, doughy and dense. The filling favored one side, so more than half of this pastry was just sugary bun. And the filling itself is sweet, gummy and gross. The French equivalent of a bodega danish.

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Glico: Pretz Hot Chili Salad Flavored
Okay, I have no idea what a hot chili salad is, but these are awesome. The thick sticks are pretzel-like in crunch. The dominant flavor is the chili heat, but there are layers of citrus and mint that make this snack damned addictive. Ditch the chips. Get Pretz. I mean get me more Pretz. NOW!

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Glico: Pocky Yasahii Amasa Pumpkin Apple Flavor

Again with this copy. Filling by its very definition must go inside something. This is icing. Pocky is essentially Pretz’s sweet sister. The biscuit sticks are bland but satisfyingly crunchy, while the icing is of a yogurt variety that tastes vaguely of pumpkin and apple, I guess. It mostly tastes like ambiguous “fall flavor.” It’s fine. But mostly it feels like the underwhelming treats your weird aunt has at her house.

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Ferrero: Kinder Happy Hippo Biscuit
Bummer my adorable biscuit buddy didn’t come looking like a lovable hippo. He came looking like this:

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However, even crushed, this treat’s pretty terrific. The waffle gives a fun crunch, the hazelnut cream is flavorful, velvety, and very sweet. It’s the kind of thing that’d go great with a glass of milk or a black coffee.

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Hunky Dory: Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips
These are pretty bog-standard sour cream and onion potato chips. They’re fine. But even if they are from Israel, the flavor makes them seem an underwhelming choice for this collection.

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Swoffle: Vanilla Filled Dutch Waffle
Full Disclosure: I find waffles wildly overrated. But this is phenomenal. The package contains one coaster-sized cookie made of a waffle-cone style outside and a slim but satisfying middle of vanilla filling. It smells like home-baked cookies and is sweet, a little crunchy, and addictive. I planned to save a bit for my waffle-loving Mister. But I’m only human. I’M ONLY HUMAN!

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Conclusion: Okay, so this one was a ride! I absolutely loved some of these snacks, and am relieved the app makes them easy to bookmark and order at will. But some were lemons. Because there’s no monthly theme, a mystery box could send just about anything your way. So, if you’re at all picky, I’d suggest spending the extra bucks to tailor MunchPak to your preferences.

Overall, I’m impressed with Munchpak. The snacks I was sent came from all over the world and offered a variety in flavor and texture. I got a snack to suit just about any mood. But I’m most impressed by this subscription service’s flexibility. Whatever your preferences or budget, you can work out a Munchpak suited to you. And because the boxes aren’t themed to the month, you’ll get a unique box shipped within days of your purchase, whenever you purchase.

Check out Subscription Addiction reviews for Level Up, Stitch Fix, Try The World, Darby Smart, Treatsie, Chococurb, Loot Crate, and Candy Club. In comments, tell us which subscription service you’d like to see reviewed next.