Food Gift Ideas

I like getting and giving food as a gift. Last year I received a very nice artisanal soy sauce. Looking for other food gift ideas like that, outside of high end Balsamic. What are other some other items that might be overlooked but make for great gifts?

Assorted high end salts. Pretty sure we have 6-8 different salts in the cupboard

One of the things I am gifting this year is hot pepper salt. I dehydrated a bunch of garden peppers and spent time grinding them before the manual labor of salt/dried pepper ground with a mortar and pestle. There are apparently some artisan producers doing this, it is a great way to add seasoning and flavored heat without all the extra culinary baggage hot sauces present.

We have received and gifted truffle salt…use ours frequently.

  • early harvest olive oil


  • artisanal small-batch preserves


  • Spanish anchovies


  • caviar


  • fine cheeses


  • fresh truffles


  • Italian salt-packed capers


  • cats


  • good quality sherry or red wine vinegars


  • artisanal bacon


  • fancy pasta from Italy or Baia for domestic


  • fancy mustard


  • imported candy like Italian torrone


  • assorted hot sauces

Cats? Do you prefer a tabby or a calico?

LOL @ “cats”

I usually make a batch of grilling rubs and give them out; it’s a little more personal and you can pack a couple (i.e. steak/tri-tip and salmon/bacon). You’d be surprised at how many people come back in May/June and ask for more.

Fat tabbies are the best.

[cheers.gif] Was curious to see how many people would read the whole list.

I think high quality Styrian pumpkin seed oil is a fantastic gift. It’s SO good for dipping bread into, and one can get creative with it if desired. Plus I find a lot of people have never had it. Terry Theise brings in a great one.

really good olive oil

truffle salt or truffle paste – I was gifted these, never would have bought them for myself, and I’ve really been enjoying them.

specialty honey (from bees that mostly get into one certain type of flower)

Pumpkin oil is a great idea - most people have never seen it (I got it as a gift from a friend in austria) and it’s dichromatic, which makes it fun to play with. I used it for an ice cream topping, which might be a bit out of the ordinary, but was good!

How is it on cats?

Yuzu paste (red and/or green)
Marmalades from Robert Lambert
Bordier butter
Anchovies from Despana
Sardines or tuna from Veleta
High end Soy sauce
Good cheese (you could have Murray’s do a selection for you)
High end bacon (North Country, Oscar’s, Vanderose…)
if you want to spend a lot you could always send some a5 wagyu
Elderflower syrup