The Best Food Gifts for Curious Cooks, Holiday Hosts, and People Who Just Love to Eat

We all gotta eat, so why not add a dash of style to your special someone’s meals this holiday season? The best food gifts in and out of the kitchen make cooking more colorful, eating more delicious, and entertaining more fun—all very good things in my opinion. From the broadly appealing (cookies with a cult following, a literal tub of sea salt) to the very specific (tinned fish tongs, fruit forks), our top picks for gifting this year aim to please any cast of characters. Whether they be new apartment dwellers, on-trend pals, hard-to-shop-for siblings, or amateur chefs, the best food gifts await them, below.

Best Food Gifts for People Who Love to Eat (and Drink)

If the person you’re looking to please is a serial snacker, gets down with Scandinavian delights, or is always on the hunt for the next cool N/A drink, this is the section for you.

Island Creek, known for its Massachusetts oysters, recently debuted its own line of tinned fish in collaboration with Mariscadora, a cannery in Galicia, Spain. We love the irreverent illustrations on the packaging, which is so cute all you’d need is a bow to wrap them up. Popcorn never goes out of style, and adorable new brand Cheerie Lane gussies up the classic with flavors and a cob-shaped pod that you just pop in the pot—the four-month subscription box is our pick for a very good gift. And I don’t know a wine lover who wouldn’t welcome a three-bottle bundle from The Waves; it has something for everyone, whether you like tried-and-true reds or something funkier.

Best Cookbooks to Gift

It’s been a good year for cookbooks, to say the least. With debuts from culinary wonder Sohla El-Waylly, effortlessly effervescent Dan Pelosi, and pastry whiz Natasha Pickowicz, shelves are overflowing with talent and beautiful design. Peppered in is the long-awaited compendium from Chicago’s seminal Lula Cafe; a celebration of foodways by and from Black women and femmes; beautiful odes to weekly rituals and place-based cuisine; and a manual for dinner party planning.

Best Food Gifts for Cooks

For those who are always in the kitchen, a unique ingredient or tool is the way to their heart.

I’m a big fan of Frankies olive oil, so when the restaurant added a version spiked with Calabrian chilis, I immediately knew it would be worth wrapping up (for myself and others). The same goes for Spicewalla’s ranch seasoning, Pika Pika’s calamansi marmalade and coconut spread duo, and Smallhold’s mushroom dust trio. I cannot sing the praises of Acid League’s back-in-stock Saffron Gold elixir enough; I spike tomato sauce, soups, and all manner of snacks with it.

Why not pack up Yuzuco’s Yuzu Super Juice with some ice-pop molds, or Hedley & Bennett’s bread knife and a fresh-baked boule? If you don’t really want to think about it, go for Popsmith’s sweet popcorn-making bundle.

Best Food Gifts for Hosts

Many may consider people who entertain as a hard-to-please crowd. As a regular host, I can tell you: Another apron never hurts and exquisite takes on oft-used items never disappoint. This includes a stainless steel oil cruet, a canonical grater that’ll fit right in at the table, a chai caddy set, Japanese-designed fruit forks and spoons, and tongs specifically for tinned fish.

Other beauties most tables would welcome: a handmade glass decanter from Il Buco Vita, a cheerful serving platter, and oyster-adorned cocktail napkins.