Food lovers are the best people to buy gifts for. You can present them with almost anything food related, and they’ll be happy (and let’s be real, basically everything is food related). But we all have that one friend who already has everything — all the trendy foods, all the cutesy food trinkets, and enough kitchen equipment to open a bakery. Luckily, if they’re a food lover (and I hope they are), all hope is not lost. Here’s the best unique food-related gifts they’ll actually use, even if they already have everything.
Luxardo Cherries, $22
These high-quality cocktail cherries are beautiful, easy to store, and sure to be put to good use in the house of a food lover with a well stocked liquor cabinet.
Artisanal Pasta, $7-$36
Maybe (definitely) they already have pasta, but dried pasta basically lasts forever and one can always use more pasta. Especially the high quality artisanal variety, which is a whole different beast from the standard store-bought kind. Frankies 457 Spuntino was founded by two legendary New York chefs, and their bronze extruded, slow-dried, made-in-Italy pastas ($7.49) are sure to delight any food lover. If you’re looking for novel noodles, get them the Sporkful Sfoglini Collection variety pack ($36), featuring three unique pasta shapes they’re unlikely to find anywhere else.
Quality Spices, $17-$35
Your food loving friend probably loves to cook, meaning good spices won’t languish in the back of the cabinet (not that I’m speaking from experience). Spicewalla offers a variety of beautifully packaged, restaurant-quality spices, including this festive Sugar & Spice collection ($17) and a variety pack of Haute Chocolate ($35). Bonus: they’re currently offering free shipping on all orders over $49.
Saffron, $7 per gram
Saffron is notoriously expensive, but since your friend already has everything, you can focus on quality over quantity. And good news, a small container of this powdered gold can be acquired from Amazon for less than $10 a gram.
Fancy Olive Oil, $13-$22
Yeah, they probably already have olive oil, but do they have spicy olive oil? For an olive-y twist, get them this spicy calabrian chili oil ($22). For a classically classy option, pick up Partanna’s finest quality Sicilian olive oil ($13-$16), an affordable luxury sure to enhance the flavor of any dish it infuses.
A Cooking Class
Your friend already has everything, so why not get them an experience? Look up cooking classes in your local area, or find one online from a site like Sur la Table or Cozy Meal. You could even sign up for the class together for extra fun!
A Gourmet Meal
Continuing in the vein of experiential gifts, there’s nothing a food-lover loves more than eating at a favorite restaurant with friends. Make a nice card and give them an IOU for dinner with you at a restaurant of their choice, your treat.