“People who love to eat are always the best people,” said Julia Child. And if you have a foodie in your life, you know just how true those words ring. Nothing beats their passion for the finding the next best meal, stocking the hottest pantry item or being the first in line to sample the tastiest goods at the new dessert shop. And when it comes to gift shopping for foodies, it can truly seem like a tough job trying to live up to their high (culinary) standards. So this holiday season, we’re making it easy to shop for all the gourmands on your list.
Brightland sources its heirloom olives from family-run farms in California, and they're harvested ... [+]
You won’t find a boring gift basket or nondescript jam on this list—only delectable gifts with a twist that will truly leave your lucky recipient ready for seconds. From Indian-inspired ice cream cakes to pantry staples that can elevate the most boring of meals, here’s a list of the most delicious gifts that are sure to impress the food lovers in your life.
Mochi Ice Cream Treats With A Twist
This isn’t your average mochi ice cream. Made from premium ingredients and available in 22 rather interesting flavors (milk and cereal mochi ice cream, anyone?), Mochidoki’s products are a deliciously unique twist on the classic Japanese treat. In fact, the New York-based brand is so popular, you’ll find it on the menu at restaurants like Nobu, Sushi Seki, Chef Masa’s Tetsu, Blue Ribbon Brasserie, Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ and more. Shop for flavors à la carte or get one of the Signature Collection boxes, and let your lucky recipient sample a wide range of the brand’s offerings.
Special Spice Rubs For The Grill Master On Your List
Founded by five-time James Beard-nominated chef Meherwan Irani, Spicewalla is a one-stop-shop for some of the most unique spices from around the world. If you’re overwhelmed with the exhaustive options (more than 250 to be precise), start with Irani’s incredibly popular Grill and Roast Collection that includes six rubs that will delight the grill master on your list. They’re perfect for zhuzhing up just about everything from chicken to cauliflower. Best of all, Irani’s equitable supply chain ensures that everyone employed by the brand is fairly paid for their hard work.
EVOO So Good They’ll Want to Drink It Straight Out Of The Bottle
With Brightland you’re not only gifting a loved one high-quality and ethically-sourced olive oil, but also the joy of owning a gorgeously designed bottle (once done, it can be repurposed as a vase) that’s been cleverly UV-coated to protect the contents from getting spoiled. As for the ethical factor, the California-based brand sources its heirloom olives from local family-run farms, and the olives are harvested early, giving them a uniquely different flavor than many other EVOOs. The olives are then pressed into olive oil without the addition of artificial preservatives or fillers, and the end result is 100% pure olive oil that’s so delicious you’ll want to drink it straight from the bottle.
Not Your Regular Pint Of Ice Cream
Surprise your ice cream aficionado with a delectable gift that’s a unique twist on their favorite treat: creamy ice cream sandwiched between two sweet and spongey cakes. The cakes are inspired by the popular Indian treat gulab jamun (juicy treats usually served in saffron-infused sugar syrup) and are used to sandwich hand-churned rose and cinnamon roasted almond ice cream. It’s the kind of dessert you can expect at the end of an incredibly fancy meal and one that lingers on your tastebuds long after.
New York’s Favorite Cookies
A New York institution, Levain Bakery is known for its massive, chunky cookies that are crisp on the outside and gooey—to the point of being like molten dough—on the inside. And for added reference, each cookie weighs a respectable six ounces. With the Signature Box, the lucky recipient gets to sample the brand’s original four cookie flavors: Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip and Oatmeal Raisin.
An Ideal Gift For The Enthusiastic Home Chef
Known for its fan-favorite olive oil and insanely popular apple cider vinegar, Pineapple Collaborative just added another kitchen must-have to its list: The Salt. Developed in collaboration with a woman-run co-op, Comunidad Salinera de Maras, the salt is harvested by hand in Maras, Peru, where salt production has been a trade for centuries, dating all the way back to before the Incan Empire. The perfect gift for just about any home chef, the salt comes packaged in a custom Kaolin ceramic vessel (similar to how ancient Peruvians used to store their salt) that’s just so darn attractive.
A Pasta Subscription For Carb Lovers
For those folks who could eat pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner, nothing says “I get you” like a pasta subscription to Sfoglini’s. Each month—choose between three months, six months or one year—your giftee will get a box of this Brooklyn brand’s signature pasta, as well as a box of seasonal variety pasta that’s made using ingredients like fennel, chili or mint.
Nothing Says “I Love You” Like Two Dozen Truffle Balls
If you know a chocolate lover, we’ve just found the perfect gift for them: Milk Bar’s iconic bite-sized truffle balls in the brand’s signature Classic B’Day Cake and Chocolate B’Day Cake flavors. Each box includes a dozen truffles in each flavor, so your giftee gets a total of 24 treats to savor.
A Not-So...Okay, A Very Cheesy Gift
Here’s a gift that truly takes the cake: Murray’s Bloomy Beauties Cheese Tower, aka a three-tiered concoction made of creamy wheels of cheese. All your lucky recipient needs to do is grab some crackers, their favorite fresh fruit jam and a glass of bubbly to pair with the festive cheese tower.
Authentic Lobster Rolls For The Win
For loved ones who didn’t get to take a road trip to Maine for a classic lobster roll this summer, there’s some great news: Luke’s Lobster is now selling their sustainably caught seafood dishes online—including their epic lobster rolls. Depending on what you order, the seafood will be delivered fresh or flash-frozen, with detailed instructions on thawing and other best practices to ensure a delicious experience.
A Trip To Asia From The Comfort Of Your Kitchen
Sisters Vanessa and Kim Pham launched Omsom in collaboration with some of the most accomplished Asian chefs in New York City to help home cooks expand their repertoire and incorporate delectable Asian flavors into their everyday meals. The result is spice flavor packets that allow any cook to easily create authentically flavored Southeast Asian dishes, including Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ, Thai Larb and Filipino Sisig, in 30 minutes or less.
Coffee That Doubles As A Treat
Help a coffee lover expand their taste buds with Copper Cow Coffee’s Vietnamese-style coffee that comes in two-part packets: One packet contains a ground coffee blend of 70% Robusta and 30% Arabica coffee beans while the other contains sweetened condensed milk sourced from a California farm. Best of all, they don’t need any additional brewing equipment (no metal phin filter, no ceramic dripper)—only hot water and a mug.
Ethically-Sourced Spices From A Woman-Owned Brand
Diaspora Co. has quickly established itself as the place to go for high-quality single-origin Indian spices that are grown without pesticides and ethically sourced directly from farmers. You can shop for spices à la carte or customize your box of three, six or nine jars.
Not Your Standard Box Of Chocolates
If life is like a box of chocolates, you’ll want to snag AndSons’ Signature Chocolate box to make sure your loved ones are being treated to the absolute best. Handcrafted in Los Angeles, each box includes an assortment of European-style ganaches and pralines with flavors like Basil Lime and Striped Gianduja, Pop Rock Praline, Speculoos Cookie and many more.
Hot Sauce With A Dash Of Truffle
We all have someone on our list who puts hot sauce on pretty much everything, and now you can help take their flavor quota a notch higher with Truff’s hot sauce. In addition to red chili and organic agave nectar, this special blend is made using olive oil that’s infused with black truffle essence. They’ll want to add a dash to just about everything, from fries to chicken wings.
A Flavor-Packed Trio For Every Occassion
Another top pick for hot sauce lovers, Fly By Jing’s hot sauce trio includes a classic chili crisp, a sweet and tangy Zhong Sauce and Mala Spice, a signature Sichuan flavor mix of 11 potent herbs and spices. Handcrafted in Chengdu, the flavor capital of China, each of the sauces is made in small batches using high-quality ingredients to achieve a true umami flavor.
Tea With A Twist
Forget the boring old tea bags, Tea Drops are a fair-trade, eco-friendly and bagless alternative that’s pre-formed into adorable shapes. All your tea lover has to do is plop them in hot water for a refreshing beverage whether served hot or cold. Aside from classic tea flavors, the brand also offers fun options like strawberry shortcake, blueberry acai and rose earl grey.
Essentials For The Home Baker
Every good baker knows that a delicious bake comes down to the quality of ingredients used, which is why we’re loving this holiday-themed trio from Nielsen-Massey. The set includes the brand’s classic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, Pure Almond Extract and Pure Peppermint Extract—all the essentials needed for the most popular holiday desserts.
Not Your Typical Can Of Soda
Move over boring old soda brands, United Sodas of America delivers all the joy and flavor of sparkling sugar water, without any of the guilt. Choose from 12 unique flavors like Cherry Pop, White Coconut, Sour Blueberry, Young Mango, Strawberry Basil, Gingery Ale and more—all with 30 calories, organic sweeteners and no artificial flavors. Plus, that chic matte packaging looks pretty darn attractive.
