No matter what your community, colour, age, caste, or creed — and never mind your preferences either — the world is very clearly divided into 2 major groups. There are those who eat to live and then there are those who live to eat. As someone from the latter group, I appreciate something to taste and experience a whole lot more than something to own or wear.
Now, it might be hard for some to figure out what to buy their foodie significant others, friends, or family for Christmas, but that’s exactly where we come in. Here are some ideas of what you can buy this festive season to please your loved ones’ palates and tummies.
1. Nothing Says Christmas Like Cookies
It’s probably because of the pop culture tradition of leaving out chocolate chip cookies and a tall glass of milk for Santa Claus, but cookies are now synonymous with Christmas. So why not gift a cookie monster? For those of you in Mumbai, look no further than Sweetish House Mafia.
2. Sip On A Cuppa Tea
Tea is a great gift for foodies because not only are there so many interesting blends, but there is also SO much you can do with it. Tea Trunk, a company started by tea sommelier Snigdha Manchanda, offers a variety of teas and curated hampers that make for perfect gift items.
3. Did Someone Say Chocolate?
A bite of good chocolate can all but transport you to an alternate dimension, ya feel? And Mason & Co. does organic chocolates in all-time favourite flavours like sea salt and orange, as well as limited edition bars that explore flavour profiles like coconut masala chai. And they’re constantly innovating too!
4. Wine Me, Dine Me…
Wine is a fool-proof gift, we’d say, which is why it’s pretty much the go-to before any dinner party when you don’t want to show up empty-handed. But if your foodie friend is a wine enthusiast, just any old bottle won’t do. All Things Nice, the wine and spirits consultancy, offers up a cool wine and dine hamper that features specially picked out wine and snacks to pair it with.
5. Waltz In With Whiskey
If wine is too much of a gift cliché but you still want to go the booze route, whiskey is not a bad bet. There are many, many, many to choose from; so some artful snooping of the giftee’s bar cabinet might be the need of the hour. Whiskey stones (that take the place of ice cubes without diluting your drink) are a good addition, too.
6. So Much To Look At, So Much To Learn
Coffee table books are always a good choice for anyone who’s seriously into food and drink. This particular one explores the art of mixing the perfect drink and has deliciously evocative pictures to go with each recipe.
7. Get Sharpy
Ask any chef and they’ll tell you that the one thing they value most are their knives. If your foodie friend is making his/her foray into the kitchen, it might be a good time to arm him/her with the right knife. There are many to choose from, but most often a Wusthof classic knife is a good place to start.
8. One Pot Wonder
Guys might be foodies, but not all are necessarily kicked about spending hours in the kitchen. A crock pot that’s easy to use and allows for efficient cooking is a great gadget to gift a guy.
9. Break Some Bread
Many food lovers are mad passionate about sandwiches (think Joey from Friends) and great sandwiches first start with great bread. Impossible Foods based in Kihim, Maharashtra, allows you to buy different varieties of sourdough and other kinds of wholly nutritious breads as a one off, or even on a subscription basis. The company is into sustainable practices as well as highly focused on nutrition, so you know it’s money well spent. Plus, they also have a fledgling range of jams, preserves, honey, and relishes that are the perfect add-on to a bread basket, wouldn’t you say?
10. Cray For Charcuterie
Those big displays of cured meats and cheeses are what most foodies’ dreams are made of. And if you know someone who fits this bill, a great present for him would be a nice little hamper of such goodies from places like Fortune Gourmet.
Now, off you go…
This story first appeared on AskMen India. For more stories like this, visit in.askmen.com.