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The Best Gourmet Food Gifts of 2018

By Cooking Light Editors
August 03, 2018
Porter Road
These holiday food gifts are made with love and special attention to detail. Bonus: they are shelf-stable and can be shipped straight to your door.
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Gourmet Food Gifts That Keep on Giving

Getty: David Turner / Product photos shot by Cooking Light

You won't find these artisinal food gifts at your local grocery store or supermarket—but you can easily order all of them online.

Edible gifts like these will impress every palate. Many are shelf-stable and can be shipped to family and friends across all states before the holidays. Plus, these gifts can be shared at the table during festivities and special events—or they can be enjoyed all season long.

Below, find our top picks for the best edible gifts to send for the holiday season.

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Zingerman's Sour Cream Pound Cake

Cooking Light
Starting at $45 available at Zingermans.com Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

Every year Hunter Lewis, Cooking Light's editor-in-chief, orders Zingerman's signature Sour Cream Pound Cake to share with the many guests who come in and out of his kitchen during the holidays. Zingerman's offers many custom mail-order edible gifts that you can shop right here.

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Soom's Tahini Sample Pack

Cooking Light
$18 available at Soom Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

There are many ways one can add tahini to a recipe—but you can also just dig in a spoon and enjoy the nutty, smooth, sesame paste all on its own. And if you're a tahini fan, you can't do better than Soom's products. Jamie Vespa MS, RD, Cooking Light's assistant nutrition editor, says this gift set is perfect for anyone who may not have had the chance to fall in love with tahini just yet.

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Pasta-of-the-Month Club Membership by Sfoglini

Cooking Light
$65 available at Sfoglini.com. Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

This is the edible gift that keeps on giving all year: Each month, Sfoglini will send a box of artisanally produced pasta directly to your loved one's door, using a seasonal approach that capitalizes on ingredients from local farms. Think sriracha fusilli, hemp rigatoni, or porcini mushroom trupets. Plus, they'll receive recipe suggestions, too. Starting at $65.

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Gaea Olive Oil Gift Box

Photo courtesy of Gaea.
$35 available at Amazon.com. Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

A celebration of Greek cuisine, this hand-painted set is the ideal choice for those who enjoy true quality. Hand-pressed olive oil and vinegar are included, and they're perfect for creating a superior homemade salad dressing.

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Benton's Cured Bacon:

Photo courtesy of Benton's.
$32 available at Benton's Smoky Mountains Country Ham Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

Shipping delicacies might seem impossible for items that a home cook can actually cook themselves—but this artisanal bacon is shelf-stable, and can be fried, baked, or air-fried anytime after this gift reaches your doorstep. A big bonus: it's insanely flavorful, and you can save any leftovers in the fridge after opening it, meaning you don't have to eat it all at once.

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McEwen & Son's Grits

Photo courtesy of McEwen & Sons.
Starting at $5 available at McEwen and Son's Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

Situated on a rolling farm in Chelsea, Alabama, McEwen & Son's is known for artisanal cornmeal and polenta products made from scratch in a stone-ground mill. But their bestseller is the gluten-free, whole-grain grits, which many of our editors say is a Southern standard and used in kitchens from coast to coast.

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La Maison du Chocolat Gift Box

Photo courtesy of Williams Sonoma.
$39.95 available at Williams-Sonoma.com. Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

This French-based chocolatier offers a lovely gift set featuring some of their most popular products, including a crepe-wrapped hazelnut praline, chocolate-covered sugar biscuits, and a roasted coconut-flavored chocolate as well.

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Harry & David's Pear Gift Box

Photo courtesy of Harry & David.
$30 available at Harry & David's Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

Nothing beats the taste of a perfectly ripe pear—which is why people flock to Harry & David for their classic gift boxes of Royal Verano pears. The famously sweet and juicy fruit pairs well with cheese and wine. Open them on Christmas morning and your household will have to resist tearing through the whole box in one sitting.

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Lightly Salted Virginia Peanuts

Photo courtesy of the Peanut Shop of Virginia.
$17.25 available at The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light's executive food editor, admits that Virginia isn't always synonymous with peanuts—but this delectable salty boiled peanut mix is the state's best kept secret, and a tin (or two!) would make a unique gift for those who love a good snack.

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Levain Bakery Cookie Gift Box

Photo courtesy of Levain Bakery.
$27 available at Levain Bakery Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

They're famous for being irresistibly indulgent, and are loved by foodies on social media and locals who wait hours in line at Levain's Upper West Side location. The hype is real, and for good reason—Food & Wine put Levain's at number 3 on their list of top chocolate cookies in the United States.

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Porter Road Meat Box

Porter Road
$75 available at Porter Road Opens a new window SHOP IT Opens a new window

For the discerning chef or grill expert in your life, pick up a curated meal kit from Porter Road. Their high-quality, handcrafted butcher cuts are delivered right to your door—and the prices are actually pretty reasonable. 

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