We all have a few “foodies” on our holiday list and we think they are the most fun people to buy for! This year’s list is full of great ideas that will sure to please any food lover. Here are some amazing food related gifts that we’ve come across recently that are worth adding to your list.
SACHA-ISH: Zing and Pay Chen (Toronto-based food writer, TV and radio personality) have created this savoury chili condiment. Launched just in time for the holiday gifting and entertaining season, this versatile and delicious jar of goodness can be used in many ways. Sacha-ish is inspired in part by some of her favourite food memories of hot pot where dipping sauces like shāchá jiàng were always a feature at the dinner table. Great for dipping everything from chips to dumplings. Enjoy it as a side sauce for your favour protein. Try it in a veggie stir fry or noodles. Dollop a spoonful even on top of eggs! Currently available for order online at Zing. You’ll want to check out the rest of the collection too! A three-jar set would make a great gift idea!
KILNE Everything Pan: the name says it all from this high quality Canadian kitchenware brand that sells directly to consumers online. We were impressed with their kitchen knives and steak knives so when they introduced the Made in Italy pan we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it. Cook your favourite recipes directly in this pan on the stove top (induction too!) – pancakes and eggs slide off easily! It also can safely go into the oven! Cleaning is a dream.
Trip to Eataly: Eating is very much part of travel for some of us. Having just returned from Italy I can say you can put me on this list! Why not gift the food lover in your life a whirlwind tasty treat with Italian treats like panettone, olive oils, biscottis and more from Eataly Toronto? There are curated gift boxes ready to go at various price points or create your own. The “Trip to Eataly” gift box sells for $119 and includes Torrone, EVOO, Pistachio spread, Dadi Mixed Cremino Chocolate and Cherry Preserve. They also ship across Canada.
General Assembly Pizza: The popular fresh-to-frozen pizza home delivery subscription based service is a great solution not just for families but also for anyone who has a full calendar and wants a quick but damn great pizza in 7 minutes. They’ve also recently launched a New York Sicilian style pizza complete with Impossible Meat — a perfect option also for holiday gatherings as an appy.
Charlie’s Burgers Wine Club: For the wine lover, gift them this subscription to Ontario’s most exclusive wine club. Built by the same team members who brought the Michelin Guide to Toronto, this monthly delivery of curated and exclusive selection of imported wines from the world’s best vineyards and not found at the LCBO. Deliveries also come with notes about the wines each month.
Crafty Ramen: For the noodle-head in your life, gift them a subscription to this Canadian ramen company. Each ramen kit contains fresh made noodles, broth, protein, sauce to make a delicious warm and savoury Japanese noodle soup bowl. They were also recently on Dragon’s Den!
Genuine Tea: for the tea lover in your life this is a company worth exploring. While we love their Creamy Earl Grey, the Silver Needle tea is one that caught our attention. Considered one of the most prized in the world, it’s beautifully complex. This mild white tea has notes of chamomile and peach. It also can be re-steeped multiple times. Toronto-based Genuine Tea was founded by two tea aficionados who have a passion for hand-crafted artisan teas. After travelling to plantations across Asia and learning about various teas and how different cultures enjoy them, they bring a wealth of knowledge to share with other tea lovers.
Blume: Cozy up with a mug full of chocolaty goodness is a winter ritual. If you’re looking for a guilt-free option worth a try is their Reishi Hot Cacao. According to this Vancouver-based company, this vegan option for our favourite hot beverage also comes with some healthful properties. Support your immune system and fight off the blues with this mystic mushroom hot chocolate. Known as the mushroom of immortality, reishi is a popular stress-soothing adaptogen that helps you fight off the blues and improve your sleep cycle. Cacao helps to support the production of anandamide AKA “the bliss molecule”. You may also want to check out their other offerings all inspired by our favourite beverages but can do more for us. Also all organic and plant-based. Their holiday lattes are delicious including the nut nog, gingerbread, and mint cocoa. I’m also loving their Rose London Fog Blend. 30 servings per 100 g package.
Balzac’s: Coffee lovers across our country are probably familiar with this Canadian coffee house – we visit the one in the Distillery District often! Founded in Stratford, Ontario and inspired by the Grand Cafés of Paris. We came across their customizable coffee roast subscription – frequency of delivery, grind, weight and preferred roast (which can be adjusted anytime) including their popular organic and fair trade beans.
Galerie au Chocolat: Canadian Made – Located in Montreal, Galerie au Chocolat is Canada’s best kept secret for chocolate lovers since 1985. The line of indulgence for the holiday season includes with new luxurious assortment of chocolate offerings from their Artisan, Fairtrade, and Liesse Sugar-Free lines.
Just Vertical: for the person who misses their garden and loves fresh herbs throughout the year, Just Vertical’s hydroponic growing system offers beautifully designed indoor garden systems that are easy to use, sustainable — perfect for the urban gardener. The EVE is a space-sensitive indoor garden that’s built into a seriously beautiful piece of wooden furniture. If that’s too big of a commitment start with one of their Seedling Kits and grow popular herbs like basil and chives then transplant them to your own indoor garden.
Gingerbread Wood Board (Indigo): charcuterie boards and butter boards are all the rage and we can’t get enough of them! But this wooden board shaped as a Gingerbread man is so sweet! We can easily fill it with gingerbread cookies, tarts, chocolates and candy canes as a great leave behind hostess gift at any upcoming holiday party.
Ciselier Alpen Italiano Classico Kitchen Scissors: what do you get the ultimate foodie on your list? They wouldn’t guess you’d gift them “the perfect kitchen scissors”. These heritage crafted scissors are perfect for those artisanal pizzas, to debone chicken, and more. The ergonomic design makes them safer to use than knives. Centre tool is a bonus to crack those lobster shells.
The Edgy Veg EASY EATS Cookbook: We adored Candice Hutchings’ previous cookbook and have been keeping an eye out for this latest one. She taught us that we don’t need to sacrifice creativity or bold flavours with vegan dishes and now you won’t have to sacrifice time or ease either! Each recipe in this book takes no longer than 45 minutes to create. No need to go to fancy health food stores for ingredients either!
Lucky Iron Fish: is a simple, reusable and effective cooking tool that adds extra iron to your daily foods or drinks. Made from food-grade electrolytic iron powder that is FDA certified and approved for food fortification worldwide. Many love this as it offers a side-effect free source of iron, especially for those with iron deficiency anemia.
