About Try the World
At Try The World, we believe that food is one of the greatest way to discover new cultures. Discovering new lifestyles and new countries is what broadens our horizons and makes us who we are. So we created Try The World, the first service that lets you discover the best gourmet food and cultural finds from across the globe, delivered right to your door! Our members receive a curated gourmet box from a different destination every 2 months. Each box captures the essence of incredible places such as France, Italy, Brazil, Japan, and many more. We rely on our celebrity chefs to hand select the most delicious and authentic treats from around the world, and to enable anyone to experience the actual day-to-day foods and lifestyles from around the world. Try The World was founded by Kat and David who met while studying at Columbia University, and grew out of their passion for food and for discovering new cultures. They didn`t have enough time or resources to travel the world, so they decided to bring the world to people`s doorstep, no passport needed! Growing up in Russia and New York, Kat caught the travel bug while studying photography and foreign languages at Columbia University. She fell in love with French culture while studying abroad in Paris for 9 months, and has since traveled to more than 30 countries. After every trip, Kat came home with a box of delicious souvenirs for her friends and family, and documented her culinary and travel adventures on her blog which got the attention of FOX and Esquire TV networks. Kat also honed her global business skills while working at companies such as The New York Times and Weight Watchers, and met David while working on her MBA at Columbia Business School. As an avid traveler and serial entrepreneur, David came to New York from Paris to explore the city where everyone meets. Through his experience of launching businesses and living in Europe, Asia and North America, and while pursuing his master`s degree at Columbia`s School of International and Public Affairs, David realized how important local products and local cultures are in our understanding of different lifestyles. David believes that enjoying another culture`s food is getting closer to the culture itself, quoting Epictetus as his motto: "bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast". It is with this philosophy that we created Try The World, sourcing the best products from around the world. All our products are USFDA approved but are difficult to find in the United States. They are hand picked by Try The World`s team of travelers as well as by local experts, with a promise that they pass our highly selective criteria, eyes, ears and tastes! Subscribe to Try The World to be surprised by delicious foods from around the world, or suggest a destination or product that you`d like to see. Stay tuned by liking us on Facebook and by signing up for our newsletter!
I was lucky to try another great box from Try the World! This time I got the Japan Box. This box came with a total of 6 full sized products and 1 tea sampler; all were items I`ve never had before. On top of that, it has a card to tell you all about each product and a culture guide with music, movies, recipes and more. Here are the details of the box I received:
OTAFUKU FOODS, Okonomiyaki Kit A popular dish throughout Japan, okonomiyaki is an omelette-like pancake made with a variety of savory toppings. This kit and the recipe enclosed in your booklet provide the basic ingredients needed to make your own.
AOI TEA, blueberry matcha tea Known as the finest green tea in the world, matcha tea is also an energy and concentration booster. AOI Tea makes this matcha by cultivating their plants in the shade, harvesting the leaves by hand, and grinding them to a fine powder. To use, whisk the powder into hot water.
HOUSE FOODS, ginger paste Committed to sustainability, House Foods makes its products in a facility outfitted with solar panels. Their ginger paste is easy to use and incredibly versatile: whisk it into soy sauce and use as a dipping sauce or dressing for noodle salad.
AKAGI, soba noodles Soba noodles are increasingly popular in Japan: made with buckwheat, they are high in vitamin B and incredibly versatile. These noodles are made in central Japan and are delicious served in hot broth or as a cold salad.
TAKAOKAYA, seaweed snack To make this premium seaweed snack (and natural health food), Takaokaya harvests wild seaweed from the ocean, then dries is by following an ancient process similar to paper making. Enjoy it straight from the bag or crumbled over rice dishes.
CINBIS, shimi choco chocolate-corn cookies These light, star-shaped chocolate cookies are a popular children`s snack, but also make for a delicious dessert for adults. They`re made with genetically modified-free corn flour and are fortified with calcium and fiber, so there`s no guilt in snacking!
KASUGAI, gummy candies In 1923, Kasugai began selling nuts and dried fruit in a small shop in central Japan. Soon after, they developed their popular gummy candies, which continue today to be made with flavorful fruit juice.
I will admit; I`m a fan of Japanese food - at least the stuff I`ve tried so far; especially sushi. So I was particularly excited about this box coming in! Each product was something totally new that I never had before and honestly, I loved it ALL! I had two particular favorites in this one though: the seaweed snack and the shimi choco cookies. Those two items I honestly want to buy a case of right now! Everything was fresh and was delicious. I love the product card that comes with it to guide you as to what the product is and sometimes it tells you how to use it. The booklet is more in depth though and includes recipes which is a HUGE help when it comes to cooking everything.
I love this box because it gave me the opportunity to try products I probably would not have otherwise tried, The box costs $39. The 6-month plan is $35/per box or the yearly subscription is $33/per box. Each box is unique and interesting. While I`m not sure if I think the price is too high or reasonably priced (prices aren`t shown on the information card), I can say I really enjoy the box. I love what it offers and I love trying new things. If I could make one suggestion it would be for Try the World to link up to the products on their website so when customers fall in love with something they`ve tried, they can go back and buy from that brand without having to scour the internet.
**Disclaimer
Try The World works with artisanal producers from around the world, and therefore each box may be a little bit different. All boxes have a curated assortment of delicious and authentic gourmet products of similar value. When opening your Try The World box, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover different local flavors than the ones I have received! The card included in your box will guide you through your culinary adventure.