Try The World

After having debating signing up for this subscription service for a solid six months, I finally went for it with their Black Friday sale. The holiday box, Spain and Paris boxes all for the price of one $ 39 box. They arrived on time, in beautiful shape and packaging. We had a lot of fun opening the boxes and seeing what was in all of them. We’ll definitely be continuing with this subscription for the foreseeable future.
I am a self proclaimed «foodie,» with a background of attending pastry school and living in downtown Chicago while doing so. I’m not working in the field, but I am still very much an avid home baker and I love to cook. The items included in each box are well worth the price, let alone the convenience of all of the items being collected for you and showing up at the door. I’m excited for the products that need to be cooked, and even to make cookies, etc. with the different jams.
Prior to ordering, I read MANY reviews on Unilocal,and other websites. People debating if Try the World was a scam, real, worth the money, and everything else under the sun. As I had hoped, I think the majority of the bad reviews, stating that the products aren’t worth the money spent, are from individuals who don’t understand the world of food. I read a review complaining about «only getting a container of finishing salt»… let alone the fact that it is a container of fleur de sel from France that would cost you somewhere between $ 10 – 12 to buy in America on your own. Olive oils from different parts of the world will taste hugely different and are barely recognizable to the stuff us Americans call olive oil. So what if it’s a container of jam? It’s jam with Jasmine petals and a Clementine jam. Tell me where you can go out and buy Jasmine petal jam.
I love the surprises, finding out what everything is, how to prepare certain items and even just debating which cookies to open after dinner! Fabulous service, and very excited to have joined.

TLDR: Try the World is a beautiful concept with an excellent execution, although I believe the marketing form of subscription to be its main weakness.
Try the World’s greatest strength is its ability of being very thoughtful and intentional. Right away, the box that arrived in the mail was a pretty teal case with their logo stamped on the top. Opening it up, I was immediately greeted with an array of wonders. I felt like a child opening his first present under the Christmas tree. My box was the Spain collection and contained authentic ingredients and food items from the Iberian Peninsula. The little booklet and small «What Can I Find in my Spain Box» pamphlet go over in detail each object and culture of the country they originated from. The booklet includes details for setting up a playlist, rules for card games, the information about the chef who prepared the box, recipes using the items, and a mini-​tour guide of landmarks.
Because of the attention to detail in the literature found in the box, Try the World boxes have the potential to be one of the best gift options out there. If someone has a particular nostalgia or attachment to a certain country or region, providing a Try the World box of that country would be a perfect present. However, as a subscription option, Try the World currently doesn’t provide the option of purchasing select boxes and instead requires a $ 40 payment every two months for a new, random box.
As a subscription for myself, I don’t think the items add up to the value. The Spain box contained some jams/​preserves, olive oil, paprika, tomato spread, canned bonito, El Almendro turron, and citrus crumble cakes, which I can’t see adding to a $ 40 value. I understand shipping, tax, and all the curating from the guides are included, in which case it is a great value, but as a consumer, I am interested mostly in the item quantity or quality. Because of this factor, I believe that a box as a gift is undoubtedly the best way to go.
I contemplated between 3 or 4 stars, but decided to give the benefit of the doubt because depending on how you approach the box, the value does change. I would highly recommend it as a gift for others (even for Christmas), but am still hesitant to say the subscription is worth it.

Wow, where do I begin? There’s always huge excitement when a box arrives — it’s like Christmas. I always look forward to opening and brainstorming recipes as a wonderful bonding experience with my boyfriend, who’s also a huge foodie.
Anyway, I’ve had three boxes — Spain, Argentina and the holiday. They all arrived safe and sound, and they were all fabulous — At least one product in each box was completely foreign yet definitely a new favorite for me (the pistachio paste from holiday, the fluffy cakes from Spain, and dulce de leche from Argentina simply blew my mind). If you love traveling and you love food, give it a shot and try a box — you won’t regret it.
I need to spread the love on this service… I’ve only had a few discussions with customer service but all have been very positive. It’s really a shame that such a great service is getting such terrible reviews. From what I understand, it was a DISTRIBUTOR they hired for a little while who ended up screwing up deliveries (took too long /​broke stuff) Seems they sorted it out. In my experience, their customer service has been super helpful.

I’ve been a subscriber for 6 months and always look forward to my box arriving. Although it’s pricier than other subscriptions it’s really worth it — you get actual sized products, not mini samples. Boxes come beautifully packaged with recipes, cultural information, and even an online music playlist to accompany your items.
Since I subscribed, two of my co-​workers have joined and they love it as well. I’m giving boxes and subscriptions as gifts this holiday season and know all of my recipients will enjoy them!
I docked one star because their online account system is not the greatest, but their customer support has always been good. They also offer specials frequently, so if you’re thinking of signing up watch for free box offers and you can get two boxes for the price of one.

I loved the packaging and the Japan box! When I received it, I was like WOW what a great beautiful box. There was more things that fit in the box than I thought could have. The blueberry matcha tea was great, but I didn’t put anything else in it, except water and lactose free milk. It tasted a bit bitter but I think thats the matcha blend in it.
The okonomiyaki kit was really descriptive, but because I am a terrible cook it didn’t come out as delicious as I feel like it could have. I used scallion and cabbage. On the package, it looks like lettuce so I bought lettuce, but didn’t end up using it. Good thing my mom also bought cabbage. I didn’t have pork or bacon, so there wasn’t much meat flavor. The seaweed green was good. I really wish they provided the okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise that is usually on the dish, it would have definitely enhanced the dish. I ended up using oyster sauce on mine.
The caramels and Kasugai gummy candies tasted like normal candy.
I put some seaweed with the soba noodles, and learned from my friend to put a poached egg on top of it. It was a filling meal and I’m glad I was able to receive the box! Check out the other boxes! It was a good meal, I just wish I had someone to help me prepare the meal HAHA.

The products are of excellent quality. Almost everything I have tried has been delicious and unique I just wish there were more pastries and less candy though. The booklets on the destination include recipes, meal ideas and a playlist of movies and music.

**GREAT GIFT IDEA (for certain people, of course)
So my friend told me about Try the World… I’m not a big subscriber person, but this is pretty cool. The box is so beautifully packaged – definitely felt like I was opening a present, a little confusing what I was getting myself into, at first – it was a box inside a box. The actual box was wrapped around by another fold up of a box – I know, confusing as I explain it but it’s really cool.
My first box is the Argentina box, which I finished the first product before opening any of the other products (butter cookies… but soooo delicious). The other items require some sort of preparation or pairing. Although I could’ve eaten the dulce de leche with the butter cookies, the cookies sorta disappeared rather quickly. I’m not much of a cook nor do I have the time so I’m going to have boyfriend make me some dinner, which I’m going to be really excited about.
I’m really glad they include a little info sheet of the items received, but I’d also like suggestions on how to eat the food too (recipes? or dishes I could google?).
Having said all of that… I’m definitely getting this for my sister and brother-​in-​law (and maybe some other people I like).

I was hesitant to try Try the World because of the initial poor reviews, but I think they’ve ironed out all the kinks — I absolutely loved my Argentina box. Although it seems a bit pricey, $ 40 (or only $ 32.50 if you buy the whole year’s subscription) is actually a fantastic deal when you take into account the quality and diversity of the products, the research that goes into compiling this amazing package and the packaging & shipping.
Although I can’t speak for the authenticity of the products because I’ve never been to Argentina, I thoroughly enjoyed the culinary explorations — I’ll list out everything so you can get a sense of what you’ll get (and what you can do with them). I don’t have much experience with Argentinian food, but following the directions on the little card was great.
+ Chimichurri — This chimichurri sauce was amazing — I basted my steak with the sauce before searing, and it took the steak to a whole different level. It’s flavorful and a bit spicy — a little reminiscent of Worcester, but better. It was also a really nice, easy change from the normal salt & pepper treatment. It’ll definitely last me a while, too, because you don’t need very much.
+ Malbec wine marinade — I unfortunately dropped my jar so I wasn’t able to make as much use of it as I wanted to, but I had the opportunity to marinade some chicken (for a grilled cheese sandwich) and simmer a spicy pork ragu sauce with it. It was great — sweet and rich — and added depth to my food.
+ Butter cookies — Rich and addicting, but I actually didn’t find them very sweet at all (which is exactly the way I like them). They’re a bit like shortbread cookies, but significantly better.
+ Dulce de leche — Oh my goodness, so creamy and delicious and sweet. I put some on ice cream and it was incredible. I can feel my hoarding tendencies coming out — currently using it very sparingly because it’s definitely a special-​occasion thing.
+ Green olive paste — I paired this with the malbec marinated chicken in a grilled cheese sandwich, and it was really good. I can imagine this making great hors d’œuvres. If you like olives, this is amazing.
+ Ducle de membrillo — I’ve had quince jam in France before, but it was really fun to try this the Argentinian way — in a pasta frola with manchego and queso blanco. I loved the way the cheese complemented the quince spread in the pie.
I haven’t tried the teas yet, but I’m not a tea connoisseur so I won’t have much to say. I’m sure they’re great because everything else was fantastic.
The timing of the boxes (every 2 months) is perfect; I don’t think I’ll use up everything in the next two months, and it’ll be fun to use them sporadically in my cooking. I loved my box so much that I bought a year’s subscription as a gift for my best friend who lives pretty far away from anything ethnic — it’s definitely a super fun package to get in the mail, and I think everything is totally worth it.

I received the Japan box and was really impressed. The packaging is adorable and there was a varied selection of food items. The blueberry matcha tea was phenomenal especially in smoothies. I blended mine with just almond milk and ice and it was delicious. More blueberry flavor than matcha but the matcha flavor wasn’t masked.
The okonomiyaki kit was really descriptive and thorough. I made some substitutions. I used Chinese chives, corn and shrimp instead of the recommendrd pork and cabbage and it still worked really well. I also decided to add on the Takaokaya seaweed snack on my okonomiyaki. The only negative I had was that I wish they provided the okonomiyaki sauce and kewpie mayonnaise typically on okonomiyaki. I just ended up using some Hoisin sauce on mine.
The morinaga caramels were pretty good; I liked how they weren’t as sweet as American caramels. The Kasugai gummy candies tasted fine but I wished that there was a more exotic candy inside. I can get these gummies in a lot of supermarkets so it didn’t feel that novel.
For the soba noodles, I just made a cold soba dish with a poached egg, some parsley and garnished with some more Takaokaya seaweed snack. I made a sauce with the Wadakan ponzu sauce provided to toss with my noodles. It was made from cashew butter, ponzu, mirin and soy sauce.

I received their Japan themed box and it is amazing! After a long day of school/​work, I came back to my apartment and found this unexpected surprise waiting for me. The box is elegantly designed and high quality. I enjoyed reading the culture guide– loved the authentic recipes that I could easily follow with some of the ingredients in the box.
Not only are all the items in the box carefully picked and representative of its culture, the best part of Try The World is the element of surprise/​spontaneity. To be able to try something new (not to mention around the world) conveniently is definitely worth it’s value. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!

First thing I gotta say is WOW, stellar presentation. Seriously, I was blown away by how sleek it was. The box, the recipe book, the explanation sheet. Excellent stuff, worthy of keeping!
What I would expect from a title like «Try the World» are things I usually don’t have access to, and that’s what it provides! Candies, noodles, sauce, it really is a thrill to pull all this stuff out one by one!
I would say, I would love to see more diversity of the items! Maybe even some non-​food items like stationary or small but important cultural items… Food for thought! Really hope you guys expand and grow!
Thanks though :) my girlfriend and I definitely had fun!

I have tried 2 of their boxes so far, the Argentina one and the Japan box. I’ve always been skeptical about ordering food online, especially since I am rather picky when it comes to food. When I received the boxes, they were well packaged. The presentation is really nice and the box they use is nice enough to use to put a gift in if you wanted to.
The snacks they put in the boxes are a nice mix of different flavours from that country. It gives you a nice idea of the food from that country, not to mention the flavor is very pleasant. I love the cookies that come with the Argentina box and the Japanese box has food that I’ve never tried but I actually came out to love.
I would definitely recommend this to my friends.

I received a Japan box as my first box, and it was beautifully packed with Japanese snacks and a booklet. They are all authentic Japanese products and I could imagine they can be hard to get if you live in a town where doesn’t have a good Asian market. I used the pancake mix to make japanese pancakes and they tasted good, well if I went to a
Japanese market by myself I wouldn’t have the courage to get those kind of stuff since I know little about Japanese food. The box gives me an opportunity to try stuff that I’ve never tried before, and it was a pleasant experience.

I tried my first box today (Argentina) and I am definitely a fan. I think the previous reviews are based mostly on logistic issues that the startup is encountering (as they are still fairly new). From what I experienced, the delivery was very speedy and the packaging was sturdy (with bubble wrap for the jam/​jelly jars) and overall I haven’t needed to contact them yet so I can’t specifically comment on how responsive they are.
I think this idea is really cool for people who are afraid of flying/can’t make it out to all these countries and do not have access to many international markets (i.e. like somewhere in the middle of Ohio). The only thing is it is only available for subscription and the gifting options are limited to the box of the month. but overall very cute idea.
As far as the experience goes, I wish they could’ve made videos or added a bit more to the experience that goes along with the pamphlets. If they added in youtube links that you can watch while you snack on the items/​read the pamphlets that would’ve been cool. If they also showed the area/​people from where they sourced the items in the respective countries, I believe that would’ve also added to the authenticity feeling of it all.
I have actually been to Argentina (Buenos Aires) and the pamphlets/​items included in the box actually brought me back to Argentina a little bit. I chuckled when I saw the page on afajores and saw the dulce de leche jar because it was literally everywhere/​inside everything. They are also known for their Mate teas… as far as authenticity the box was definitely on point. The cookies, which I have never had, were also extremely delicious.
For pricing, it is rather expensive, but if you think about how much the shipping already costs (the box was very heavy), you know that even if you tried ordering everything/​researching on Amazon it would amount to around the same price. Also, you’re not flying to these countries. so to have something authentic sourced to you from direct connections is like enjoying single origin coffee. You have to expect to pay premium over the average Starbucks.

While I am no stranger to monthly recurring subscriptions (Marley Spoon, Blue Apron, dollar shave club, plated, five four club) this one is new. I have never tried a subscription based «stuff» service. While the other things are more of a necessity such as meals, razors and stylish clothing. This company takes it to the next level by sending you stuff you don’t necessarily need. However that is where it changes. This is stuff you want, you just may not know it till you receive it. The goodies contained in this treasure trove of knick knacks are everything under the sun from spices, snacks, treats, actual food in cans, jars, jams etc. my first box is Spain and I’ve already opened up the El Almendro. Would I have ever bought anything like this on the street? Probably not! But now that I’ve tried it, been given a card with the cultural history and how to consume it I’m floored!
The price is a little steep. That was my primary concern. At $ 40! A box you think. Wow. But when you factor in the weight of this thing (all canned products and glass jars, the amount of care that goes into the packaging, and lastly the quality of the products you receive. You know where your money is going.
I’d highly recommend trying them before you decide otherwise. Makes a great gift for the adventurous eater (such as myself) or a good self indulgence. I’ll be trying the tinned tuna later
Keep in mind that this is a recurring service. Much like the 10 extra packets of dollar shave club cartridges, they’ll keep sending them till you tell them to stop!

I am enjoying my TTW experience. I have gotten Paris, Morocco, Argentina and now Japan. There is nothing in any box we didn’t like. The KOO! cookies from Argentina were amazing and we have reordered them. I did NOT find any of the items in any of the boxes at World Market which is near me. So that made me happy. Not sure what «pre-​packaged foods» people are complaining about. My boxes were full of ingredients and fun candies, jars of sauces, packages of spices, noodles, olives, pastes, things like that.
We did have one issue, a jar in our Morocco box was broken, but I reached out to TTW via FB and they responded IMMEDIATELY. I was sent a new box within 5 business days. TTW can’t control what a shipper does to the boxes! If a UPS employee drop kicks your box, that’s not TTW’s fault, that’s the SHIPPERS fault.
*REMEMBER*. read the INFORMATION. the boxes ship out every OTHER month! I started my order around the 22^nd of the month and got on the shipping cycle for the next month, THAT is when my box came. I knew this would happen because it says EVERY OTHER MONTH. They have to have some sort of shipping schedule to make sure everyone gets the current box.
I also purchased a whole year in advance, which made it cheaper, the price is the ONLY reason why I didn’t give this 5 stars.

I have mixed feelings with Try the World. I scrolled past their ad quite a few times on Facebook and finally jumped on it and purchased an annual subscription for 6 boxes in one year. It was kind of a rash decision and my biggest regret was not reading reviews before purchasing the annual subscription. The pictures of the Tiffany blue box and my love for food had me acting crazy!
After I purchased my subscription, I was supposed to have received the Argentina box within two weeks. After those two weeks went by, I got suspicious and read reviews online to find people saying that they do not respond to emails, they have no phone number, and that they are somewhat a scam. I really freaked out and sent Try the World an email to cancel my subscription (that was the only way to cancel at the time, which in itself felt weird). They never responded to my email request for cancellation. Instead, the following day they sent an email with my tracking number. I calmed down a bit and let it go since I really wanted to «try the world.»
I received my pretty blue box for Argentina and everything was packaged beautifully. There were crackers, dulce de leche, candy, tea, chimichurri sauce, and a couple of other things I haven’t opened yet. About a month and a half later, I moved and changed my address on Try the World. When two months passed and I hadn’t received a new box yet, I got frustrated and cancelled my subscription on the website. So they had improved their site to where you can cancel online, yay! The following day, I received an email with my tracking number for my Japan box… being sent to my old address. I forwarded that to Try the World and told them to send it to my new address that I had updated in the system. It took a few days for them to respond, which made me worried again about their business practices. Luckily, they responded giving me an option to either be refunded for the Japan box or for them to send me a new box to my new address. I chose the refund.
All in all, I’m happy they refunded me for the rest of the boxes I never received and was only charged for the 1 Argentina box. I know many people say that you can buy these items at World Market, but for people like me, I wouldn’t even know where to begin picking out foreign treats at World Market. Try the World is a nice bump to get you trying new things. Unfortunately, they were not the right fit for me.

I love receiving my Try the World boxes! If you are a foodie, love to cook (or just love to eat!), and love trying new items… this is for you. The price per box is very reasonable compared to other «monthly subscription» boxes, plus the box itself is so fun (a sturdy, pretty tiffany blue box). The variety of items in each box is great and I eagerly await each new travel destination. With each box of items there is an accompanying «menu/​recipe» book that provides product descriptions, geographical info and other tidbits.
Wish I could get a box every month! Give Try the World a try!

Surprises never lost its way!
I mean, sure, surprise boxes is always fun, and it was time to rediscover my excitement for surprises with unnecessary fortunate to spend.
Try the world, has given me some great stuff over the few months I’ve been a member. Also, it has given me the means to explore and try more international cuisine.
Presenting ridiculously exciting boxes from around the world.
Green Olive Paste from Argentina Box. Cous Cous Sauce from Marrakesh Box. Clovis France Mustard from from Paris Box. Domori chocolate cherries from Venice Box. Aoi Tea from Tokyo Box! and more.
Every two months, since December 2014, at the end of the month, I travel to a different county, figuratively not literally, I wish! As actual trips cost skyrocket, my «Tiffany» blue box, which is being delivered to my door, and cost less than $ 40. So, be prepared, I mean ready to enjoy a gourmet tour, paired with cultural tips and guide.
Whether that means recipes, tips, or an ultimate foodie giveaway, Try The World is up to the task.
Five solid Unilocal

Good concept but overpriced. I subscribed to this, got 4 boxes so far. I received the Moroccan, Argentina, Paris, and world box. Very small packages of each food like a small sample. Too many single teas, spice rubs. I even received a can of sardines in one box. You get about 6 – 7 items per box. It’s $ 39 per box every 2 months. Needs to be $ 25. One can go to the local supermarket or dollar store and can find a lot of international food items for a fraction of the price. The Tiffany box it comes in is nice as well as the cultural guide. Customer service has been good. Delivery is delayed and slow