As a food lover and food writer, I am asked what my favorite foods and restaurants are all the time. For my gift guide for food lovers, I stayed close to the West Coast, with a notable exception (it’s Swiss!). I sampled every item on this list. While my palate is not the same as yours, I stand behind my picks as delicious and exciting options to gift to anyone on your list.
12 Days of Caviar from Caviar Co.
In what, I must admit, was a first for me, I was agog at the gorgeous packaging of a holiday gift for caviar lovers. Then I was agog again at what’s inside: 8 black caviars and 4 roes sourced from farms all over the world. Inside the tiered box, a Beluga Hybrid Caviar not available at their two cafes (San Francisco and Tiburon), awaits amidst the splendiferous offerings.
Designed in the spirit of the 12 Days of Christmas (which, for the non-Catholic trained among us, are the days in-between Christmas and Twelfth Night), there are 12 drawers, each holding a one-ounce jar.
Each Box Includes:
- 1 oz Imperial Golden Osetra Caviar
- 1 oz Osetra Caviar
- 1 oz Kaluga Hybrid Caviar
- 1 oz Siberian Sturgeon Caviar
- 1 oz Beluga Hybrid Caviar
- 1 oz Classic White Sturgeon Caviar
- 1 oz Hackleback Caviar
- 1 oz Paddlefish Roe
- 1 oz Smoked Trout Roe
- 1 oz Trout Roe
- 1 oz Salmon Roe
- 1 oz Whitefish Roe
Plus: 2 Mother of Pearl Spoons, 1 Gold Tin Key Keychain, Custom Recipe Cards, and a stunning, reusable box.
My enthusiasm for this gift is clear, I hope.
12 oz / $945
Shekoh Handcrafted Confections
A San Francisco-based chocolate brand known for bonbons as works of art crafts flavors traditional and modern. French-trained Master Chocolatier Shekoh Moossavi shows off her Persian roots in Saffron, Persian Rose and Orange Blossom, spins to Asia for Coconut and Yuzu and considers the breadth of American flavors with Honey Lavender, Milk & Cookies, and Bourbon Pecan Praline. The goodies are packed in a peek-a-boo box, which means: a) no wrapping paper needed – the beautiful box is ready to gift as-is, and: b) You can instantly see the intricate work involved in crafting the multi-colored, nearly iridescent sweets.
The 21-piece Hemispheres Collection ($50) captures the world’s flavors. Persian Nougat ($15), Pate de Fruits ($25), Wildflower Honey Marshmallows ($12), and Vanilla Caramels ($15) are a few other fun options.
Bouchaine Vineyard & Grove Duo
You may already know Napa’s Bouchaine for their Dijon Clone Pinot Noir and restrained Reserve Chardonnay. Did you know they have 3,000 Tuscan varietal olive trees on-property? Previously limited for sale to their tasting room, the Estate Grown Extra Virgin Olive Oil (40% Frantoio, 25% Pendolino, 15% Leccino, 10% Moraiolo, 10% Coratina) is making its debut, stepping out for just a peek at what the world has to offer. It’s paired for the holiday season with the house’s Estate Syrah in a Vineyard & Grove Duo.
The Syrah is bold and velvety, the heavier style of Syrah that goes well with winter fare like Hasenpfeffer and Beef Wellington. The olive oil (500 ml) is packaged in a dark green glass bottle for superior protection from oxidation. It pours smoothly and smells sweet with a lingering, peppery finish. I imagine this as a drizzle on butternut squash soup or served on the side of that stew with crusty bread and a nice bottle of wine. Wait, I know which one…
750 ml Syrah and 500 ml Estate-grown Olive Oil / $170
Dandelion Chocolate Japanese Citrus Collection
Got a Japanophile on your list? Someone who is dairy intolerant but loves chocolate? Or someone who nerds out on new food words? Yes, yes, and yes? This trio of candied fruits will hit the spot. In three keepsake boxes tied with a red ribbon, San Francisco’s Dandelion Chocolate, in collaboration with Dandelion Japan’s Chef Shota Suzuki and his Tokyo Confections team, carefully places candied Iyokan peel (an orange fruit similar to a mandarin, grown in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan), candied Hyuganatsu peel (native to Miyazaki Prefecture and similar to pomelo) and candied Japanese lemon peel.
These candies are sweet but not cloying. There is a noticeable bitterness in harmony with the smooth chocolate. While I liked the lemon and Hyuganatsu, I savored – no, treasured – the Iyokan. They achieved that sweet spot of soft yet chewy, bitter yet sweet, and were cut a bit larger, just the right size to feel satisfied with just one. Ok, two. Be warned: they are addictive!
7.5 oz (212 g) / $110
Everiday Ultimate Spice Arsenal
Made only with extra virgin olive oil – no canola, soybean or seed oils – adds a sheen of virtue to Everiday’s Asian chili oils. Even better are the flavors. Mala Chili Oil is a one-two chili punch of dried chili and Bird’s Eye, balanced with coconut aminos, and five-spice. Garlic Chili Oil is the most straight-forward – dried and Bird’s Eye chili with garlic and coconut aminos pack plenty of punch.
Whirled with gochugaru and dates, Miso Chili Oil is spicy-umami-sweet (and my favorite). Sambal Chili Sauce is vegan – no seafood included. It gets its depth from galangal, lemongrass and tamarind. The clear jars are cute, too! All the sauces are made in Thailand.
Ultimate Spice Arsenal Includes:
- Mala Chili Oil (4.2 oz)
- Garlic Chili Oil (4.2 oz)
- Miso Chili Oil (4.2 oz)
- Sambal Chili Sauce (4.9 oz)
$44.99 for the Ultimate Spice Arsenal or $12.99 each
McEvoy Ranch Chai Spice Olive Oil
Y’all already know I am a fan of the Petaluma brand and their exceptional olive oils. (I also love their Body Oil in Citrus scent.) When I heard about the Chai Oil, I had to try it. The aroma lifts out of the bottle the moment you crack the cap. Thank you, proprietary blend of single-origin cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, clove, and black peppercorns, all sourced exclusively from Noble House Spices. I swirl it into chai and drizzle it on my morning granola-yogurt-fruit bowl for even more oomph and a boost of healthy fats. And you gotta try it in the Chai Old-Fashioned.
Wrap a ribbon around the neck of the petite 100 ml bottle and – poof! – hostess gift $14.99
The Signature Collection Deluxe Gift Set with Ginger-Turmeric, Chili, and Lime oils is $59.99
Goot Essa Handcrafted Cheeses
A six-family farming cooperative in central Pennsylvania works the land with horse and manpower. That commitment to tradition extends to their cheeses, handmade and European in style. The respect for land and craft shines especially bright in the Swiss-style cheeses I sampled. Firm-textured Butta Schaf Käse (sheep – 4 oz. for $12)) resembled Gruyere – I found it a bit more crumbly than the Swiss version, with a subtle crunch. Aged 18 months, Felsa Yehr, a firm Manchego style sheep cheese, was a big hit for its deep grassy/nutty flavor. Der Vauden Swiss (4 oz. for $9.50), a smooth, medium-bodied Emmental, was the biggest hit with my Swiss husband – it disappeared from a cheeseboard in minutes.
Available individually and in gift baskets, like Cheesemaker’s Christmas, which includes four cheeses, four accompanying condiments like Raspberry Red Beet Spread and crackers.
$69.99
Bonjour Bakehouse Ultimate Gift Box
The petite San Mateo bakehouse café is known for their apple turnovers, fruit scones, and almond chocolate croissants delivers around the Bay and around the country. Their Ultimate Gift Box cherry-picks their best products. It includes:
- Six chunky, soft cookies – your choice of Chocolate Chip, Gluten-free, Rainbow and Feeling Lucky
- One fruit spread (dulce) for dipping
- A pack of Carl the Fog Ikon Whole Coffee Beans
- Six classic mini-scones
It’s Afternoon Coffee in a box.
$75
Sonoma County Bee Co Mini Honey Pot
I wrote about Candace Koseba and her honey shack earlier this year for Edible Marin & Wine Country magazine. I am a huge fan of her edible honeys (Minerals Herbal is a fave). Crafted entirely from safely and sustainably hand-harvested beeswax, Koseba uses her hands and a few simple tools to make these roughly 5-inch-tall pots. Yes, you can store honey in them. Place it on a dish with a mug and a spoon and tea is served in a most unique and personal way.
$24
Taylor ShellFish Farms Cioppino Kit
Got a shellfish lover in need of a gift? Planning a party? From a family-run shellfish farm on Washington’s Puget Sound (they utilize farming areas along the South Puget Sound, from the Pacific Ocean through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia) a Cioppino Kit brings together the fresh flavors of the Pacific Northwest’s stunning seafood with San Francisco’s famous tomato-based stew and makes quick work of a Feast of the Seven Fishes meal or a New Year’s Day seafood fiesta.
The seafood is extremely fresh and, when I opened a sample mailed to me, smelled of the sea. This kit is stacked (stacked!) and easily fed my family of four – I’d go so far as to say it will serve eight, especially if you order a few more Dungeness crab to serve alongside. Don’t forget to pick up some crusty bread to sop up the yummy broth.
What you get:
- 1 lb Manila clams
- 1 lb Totten Inlet mussels
- 2 frozen Dungeness crab sections (roughly 1 lb. each)
- 1 16-ounce bag wild-caught Blue Gulf shrimp
- 1 24 ounce jat San Gennaro Northwest Cioppino Base (tomato-based)
$105
Jacobsen Salt Co. Choose Your Own Seasoning Blends
Harvested from the cold waters of Netarts Bay on the Oregon Coast, Jacobsen’s salts all taste of the Pacific’s salinity and are flaky in character. Here, their beautiful salts are blended with spices and seasongs to make cooking just that much more flavorful with minimal effort.
I love the pick your own format – Jacobsen includes global flavors from Italian and Steak ($9 – $9.50) to Furikake ($12) and Seafood ($8.50). Since I got to choose my own adventure, I went all-in on umami. Savory Turmeric ($10) is boosted with nutritional yeast, perfect for sparkling on popcorn; boosted with tomato, cacao, and shiitake powders, House Special ($12) is my new favorite barbecue rub; garlic, coriander and MSG (don’t be scared) make Ramen irresistible. Of course, it’s perfect for sprinkling over hot, soupy noodles but with a spritz of fresh lemon, is delicious with fish.
My 3-pack came to $30.50 for three spice jar sized (2.2 – 3.2 oz.) spiced blends.
Ekone’s Smoked and Tinned Seafood
I, too, thought the canned fish trend would be over by now, but here’s the thing: The products keep getting better. Ekone, a family-run shellfish farm run in partnership with Taylor Shellfish (above) on Willapia Bay, Washington, grows, smokes, and cans their own mussels, oysters, Coho salmon and more. Regenerative farming is at the heart of the business. Flavors, like Mussels in Curry and Habanero Smoked Oysters, are made with organic spices and brim with fresh flavor.
Perhaps it’s the oysters’ immersion in two habanero sauces before they are cold-smoked and packed that I liked them so much. I guarantee that, if you add these to a seacuterie board (so trendy), you are on your way to creating a one-of-a-kind flavor experience for your guests. Oh, and they pack well, too, should you need a hiking or picnic snack.
3.5 oz. cans are $12-13 each, or try all 8 flavors in the Ekone Suite – $90
A Hot Sauce Duo
I loved these two sauces from one West Coast and one East Coast company.
Hog Island Oyster Co. Hot Sauce
Made with Fresno chiles and seasoned rice wine vinegar, the latest addition to the growing line of Hog Island packaged goods is this mellow, sweet-n-spicy hot sauce. There’s just enough vinegar to provide an edgy experience or add some more, as needed. You can order it on its own – 5-ounce bottle / $9
– or as part of the Pro Shucker’s Kit
The Pro Shuckers Kit includes:
- 36 Extra Small Hog Island Sweetwaters (*oyster type may vary depending on weather)
- Our branded, wood-handled Olympia Oyster shucking knife—made by R. Murphy and a favorite among our oyster bar shuckers.
- Our classic shucking glove set
- Hogwash Mignonette—our take on the classic mignonette
- House Hot Sauce—a not too spicy kick to top your ‘sters
$155
Elephant Green Chili Chutney
Made on the East Coast from an old family recipe, a zippy chutney blends green chiles, coconut and cilantro. Bright green and notably tangy, I swirled it into coconut milk to make Pork Meatballs with Green Curry Spinach and into Guacamole instead of diced jalapeño. I found it a great time saver for meals when just a pinch of heat is needed. For online purchases, head here – the chutney makes a great pairing with Brie and fresh goat cheeses.
9 oz. / $15.95
Looking for another gift guide for food? Take a gander at my 2024 recommendations.
