Top 10 Holiday Gifts for the Foodie on Your List

 Entry #3006, November 11, 2013

It’s that time of year again! Time to bust out the Christmas lists, put on that winter coat, and get to shopping. If you have a special foodie in your life, make this a Christmas to remember with a gourmet gift. Whether your gastronomer loves to cook or simply to eat, here are 10 holiday gifts for the foodie on your list that will fulfill your foodie’s fantasies and keep you on the throne as the World’s Best Gift Giver.

Top 10 Holiday Gifts for the Foodie on Your List

Try these food gift ideas this holiday season

Image via: Southern Living

1. Personalized Cutting Board – Help your foodie become the master of their domain with a custom engraved cutting board. Design the board to be engraved with your foodie’s name and favorite symbol or slogan for personal flair. This unique gift is perfect for foodies who love to cook. Functional and fun, with a variety of wood type and size options, this is a gift that will keep on giving!

2. Japanese Knife Set – A sharp addition to any cooking enthusiast’s repertoire, Japanese knives are the best on the market. Your foodie may think they have a good knife set, but these knives will open their eyes. Ultra-sharp and able to easily slice foods that other knives simply can’t tackle. Shun Cutlery is top-of-the-line and well worth the investment. If you’re looking for a less expensive set, look no further than the bright colors of the Pure Komachi 2—available at many home goods retailers.

3. Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mats – A game-changer for any foodie that loves to bake and hates cleaning crusty baking sheets. These mats are coated with silicone and are the industry standard for baking professionals. Simply place the Silpat on a baking sheet—no greasing required! Then watch as baked treats leave behind no sticky residue. They’re easy to clean with soap and hot water and are good for thousands of uses. Easy to store and available in a number of sizes, these mats will make parchment paper a thing of the past for your foodie.

Give them cookware to make baking easier! Non-stick pads are perfect

Image via: Better Recipes

4. Monthly Club Memberships – There are a number of clubs that provide members with a monthly supply of fresh, seasonal varieties of a particular food. There’s an Avocado of the Month club, a Cheese of the Month club, and a Coffee Beans of the Month club, among others. Membership options are based on supply quantity or duration (3, 6, 12 months). Pick the package that’s best for your foodie and the monthly supply is delivered right to their doorstep. This is a perfect gift for the health-conscious foodie who loves to explore fresh, new varieties of their favorite delicacies.

5. DIY Planting Kits or Cooking Classes – “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Give your foodie the gift of a lifetime with a contribution to their home garden or cooking skills. Put together a package of their favorite heirloom herb or vegetable seeds, complete with soil and growing pots. This interactive gift is perfect for foodies with a green thumb, and will provide fresh herbs and veggies for years. Or, transform your foodie from an amateur enthusiast into a gourmet master with cooking lessons. There are a number of boutique cooking schools and workshops available in any big city. Present your foodie with a package of solo cooking lessons, or make it a social event with joint lessons!

Why not give them a DIY planter kit?

Image via: Houzz

6. Gourmet Salts – Just a pinch of gourmet salt can make a world of difference to a dish. Help catapult your foodie into truly elite gourmet status with a jar of Mediterranean Sea Salt. Consider pairing this with Truffle Salt for a seasoning duo that can make any recipe—marinades, pasta, eggs, steak, popcorn—heavenly. Truffle butter or truffle oil are also trendy gourmet items that add exquisite flavor and will leave diners clamoring for more.

7. High Quality Olive Oil – Another item that has seen a huge growth in the foodie community is real, extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil is best when it’s fresh, but most olive oils sold in the U.S. are well past their prime due to shipping and stocking procedures. Not to mention the inferior flavor and health benefits compared to their fresh, international counterparts. There are a number of great gift options, but check out Nudo or Frankies for authentic Italian olive oils. A spritz here and a drizzle there will soon find their way into almost any dish.          

8. Gourmet Popcorn – This is not your average microwave popcorn. Gourmet popcorn can open your foodie’s eyes to what this classic snack truly has to offer. 479degrees popcorn uses only organic ingredients and eco-friendly practices to produce a healthier snack that doesn’t need to be drenched in butter. Sold in half-gallon canisters, this popcorn is to die for.  Sprinkle it with a dash of truffle salt and it’ll disappear by the handful.

Who doesn’t love caramel popcorn?

Image via: Pinterest

9. BBQ Sauce – Perfect for a grillmaster or BBQ-lover, a set of high-quality BBQ sauces is just what Santa ordered. Stubb’s is a classic Texas BBQ sauce that comes in a variety of flavors—all gluten free with no high fructose corn syrup. Hickory Bourbon, Honey Pecan, Smokey Mesquite—they’re all delicious! Slather them on some ribs or brisket, and your grillmaster will be in BBQ heaven.

10. Real Maple Syrup – The equivalent of BBQ sauce for brunch lovers, real maple syrup can elevate any breakfast dish. Try the Bourbon Barrel Matured Maple Syrup from Mikuni Wild Harvest. No corn syrup needed, as this company ages authentic maple syrup in bourbon barrels for a flavor that is hard to put into words—probably because your mouth will be so full of pancakes! This syrup is a must-have for the Christmas morning feast.
So don’t fret about finding the right gift for the foodie on your list. There is a world of gourmet options out there waiting to find their way into your foodie’s kitchen. Watch their eyes light up as they open your gift and discover that perfect cooking utensil or seasoning they’ve been hoping for. Then bask in the glow of your gift as the foodie prepares a gourmet dish to thank you. A merry Christmas it shall be!

Article courtesy of Shari’s Berries. Follow Shari’s Berries on Twitter, visit their blog or like them on Facebook for more delicious gift ideas.

For more holiday food ideas on Stagetecture, click here.