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It can be hard to find unique food gifts for the ones we love. But, if there’s one thing that’s sure to delight, it’s food!
If you want to please food lovers with a curiosity about the world, you’re in luck. This guide is uniquely curated from our culinary travels around the world.
To make it easy, we’ve divided our list of gifts into categories. From global snacks, to spices, wines, cooking vacations, cookbooks, and more.
Please any palate with our top selection of the best gifts for food lovers.
Best Snacks Gifts For Food Lovers
1. Universal Yums – International Snacks Box
We love Universal Yums and have been receiving their global snacks for several years. The way it works is very simple.
Each month, Universal Yums sends a variety of authentic snacks from a different country.
Every subscription box is packed with sweet and savory treats from around the globe. Also included is a guidebook that contains recipes, trivia, cultural facts, games, and more.
The boxes come in 3 different sizes: Yum Box, Yum Yum Box, and the Super Yum Box. See more in our Universal Yums review. If you are looking for unique gifts for travelers, the gift of Universal Yums will take them around the world each month.
2. Try The World Gourmet Snacks
For adventurous foodie travelers who want to discover the world through snacks, Try The World offers a way to taste different cultures.
The snacks from Try The World, are gourmet snacks made by local artisans from around the world.
This unique gift box features a mix of delicious sweet and savory flavors from countries like Italy, Japan, Cuba, India, and many more.
With Try The World, you can choose the country boxes you’d like to receive. And the gift boxes come in three sizes: 7 to 9 snacks, 12 to 14, or 17 to 20 exotic snacks.
So, if you are looking for a gift for an adventurous friend and you know what country they would like to “taste,” a Try The World snack box is a thoughtful gift.
You can give a one-time gift or delight your gift recipient with a monthly box of gourmet global snacks.
If you need inspiration for fun gift ideas, whether for a birthday or holiday gift, Try The World has you covered.
AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST TIP: To save even more with Try the World gourmet snacks from around the world, use code AFQ10 at checkout.
3. Sakuraco Japanese Snacks
For lovers of Japan and Japanese food and culture, look no further than Sakuraco.
Sakuraco is one of the best Japanese snack box companies offering authentic treats shipped from Japan.
A Skuraco gift set contains 20 authentic Japanese snacks, tea, and uncommon goods for your kitchen.
The treats in each box are made by local artisans who have dedicated their lives to making a unique specialty sweet or savory snack.
The home goods in each box vary and include beautiful traditional ceramics for your kitchen, uniquely designed chopsticks, and exquisite Japanese wrapping cloths.
Foodie travelers will love discovering Japan’s ancient traditions, foods, and fascinating culture.
A Sakuraco foodie gift basket is the perfect way to travel to Japan through snacks.
RELATED: Sakuraco Box Review: Should You Get This Japanese Snacks Box?
4. SeoulBox Signature Korean Snacks
Lovers of Korean food, culture, fashion, and music would be thrilled to receive unusual food gifts shipped directly from Seoul.
Without needing a passport, you can give a SeoulBox gift box filled with Korean snacks, K-beauty items, merchandise, and more.
Three different gift boxes are available – SeoulBox Signature, SeoulBox Life, and SeoulBox V.
The Signature and V boxes offer 18 Korean snacks, a drink, K-pop, K-beauty, and K-culture gift items.
The only difference between the two is the V box features vegetarian goodies.
The Life Box focuses on the culture of Korea, with cultural goodies, K-beauty products, and merchandize for K-pop lovers.
SeoulBox is one of the best food gifts for lovers of everything Korean.
RELATED: How To Unbox Your S(e)oul? Seoulbox Korean Snacks Review
Best Spice Gifts For Foodies Who Love To Cook
5. Burlap & Barrel Fundamental Collection
Spices are one of those gifts from around the world that food travelers will always love. Food flavors are enhanced, and spice colors and aromas can transform any dish.
If you are looking for gift ideas for travel lovers who love food, consider giving them new spices to add to their kitchen pantry.
This Kitchen Fundamental Spice Pack which comes in a 6, 9, or 12-piece set, contains spices sourced from small farmers around the world.
Discover Black Urfa Chili from Turkey, which is delicious on grilled meats and even chocolate desserts.
Wild Icelandic Kelp adds savoriness to dishes and is a salt substitute. And Silk Chili will transform dishes like never before.
All the spice flavors are distinctive and will upgrade recipes in new and delicious ways.
Beautifully packaged and equitable sourced, this fundamentals collection is the perfect gift for home cooks.
6. The Spice Passport From Burlap & Barrel
Oftentimes, the best gifts come in small sizes. New from Burlap and Barrel are unique sample-sized packages of spices.
Known as the Spice Passport, these spices can take you around the world in a fun and whimsical way.
Each passport holds 8 pods with spices as diverse as Purple Stripe Garlic, Royal Cinnamon, Smoked Pimentón Paprika, Black Lime, and others.
If traveling, camping, or taking a road trip, easily pack the spices and enjoy flavorful meals without needing to pack much.
This little gift is a one-time buy, with no subscription plan needed, and it also ships for free.
You can order a single passport or a 6-pack to share with foodies friends who love to travel.
As fans of unique and portable flavors from around the world, you’ll love the Spice Passport as much as we do.
Best Gifts To Explore The World With Drinks
7. Global Teas with Simple Loose Leaf Tea
Looking for a unique food gift for tea lovers in your life?
How about helping them travel the world with delicious Simple Loose Leaf Tea?
Depending on the kind of teas they like, you can choose a black, herbal, green, oolong teas, or a handy sampler tea box.
Each box comes with 4 different premium teas, linen filters, and tasting notes with the tea origins, brewing tips, and more.
Take your travel-loving foodie friends beyond the limited tea selection at the grocery store.
Help introduce them to a whole new world of teas from around the world.
8. Bean Box Coffee – Worldly Coffee Beans Flavors
Explore the world, one coffee bean at a time, with some of the world’s best coffees.
With a world coffee tour box from Bean Box, food lovers can wake up to artisanal coffee from the world’s best roasters.
Offering expertly curated coffee from independent coffee makers, a coffee lover can enjoy a new and delicious morning from anywhere in the world.
The coffee comes from microlots in Latin America, Africa, and anywhere in between.
Each box includes 12 different coffees, tasting notes, brewing tips, and your choice of either whole-bean or freshly ground coffee.
Give the gift of a better morning every day with the world’s best coffee. Free shipping is included.
9. Maca Drink From Peru – Inca Superfood
Maca is an ancient superfood from the high Andes mountains of Peru. It is a plant that belongs to the brassica family, a close relative of turnip, rapeseed, and mustard,
The Maca root is prized for its medical and nutritional properties. It is a nutritional powerhouse with anti-inflammatory properties and is beneficial for hormone, thyroid, and immune improvements.
In Peru, where we first discovered Maca, the root is available as a powder and is added to hot drinks or consumed on its own.
The legendary Incas are believed to have consumed Maca and relied on it to move the heavy blocks while building Machu Picchu.
As a superfood, Maca from Peru supports the body in several ways. From increased energy, regulating hormones, fertility, mental clarity, anxiety reduction, hair growth, and more.
If you or a loved one are looking to help support the body naturally, a Maca drink is a unique gift to give.
With high-quality Maca ethically sourced from the Peruvian Andes by the Maca Team, you can make drinks with powder or take capsules if you prefer.
RELATED: Maca Drink from Peru: A Guide to The Incas Superfood (With Recipe)
Best Wine Gifts For Food Travelers
10. Best French Wine Club – Sommailier
If you know a Francophile and lover of exquisite French wines, then Sommailier is one of the best gifts to consider.
Sommailier offers exclusive wines from handcrafted vineyards all over France and ships them directly from France to your home.
These are wines not found anywhere in the US, and they are selected from the finest boutique wineries in France.
The “C’est la Vie” gift comes with three bottles, the “Rendez-vous” has six bottles, and the “Et Voila” has 12 wine bottles. Choose either white or red wines or a mix of both.
The Sommailier experience includes in-depth descriptions of the wines, wine regions, winemakers, and food pairing tips.
Help transport a French wine lover, to Burgundy, Bordeaux, Provence, and beyond with the gift of French wine from Sommailier.
11. Organic Wines – Plonk Wine Club
With organic foods and farm-to-table restaurants sweeping across the country, it’s not surprising that organic wines are also growing in popularity.
If you want wine gift ideas for a loved one who prefers to shop organic, delight them with Plonk organic wines.
Plonk wine club, a woman-founded wine club, offers sustainably sourced organic and biodynamic wines from around the world.
You have the option of getting red wines, white wines, or mixed cases of wines from domestic and international producers.
What we like about Plonk wines is that many feature indigenous grapes from lesser-known wine regions.
You could explore wines from Croatia, Greece, Hungary, and others and take an exciting organic wine adventures.
From the Plonk wine shop, there are several gift sets you can also choose from. There are mystery cases, seasonal packs, dinner party packs, or special collections.
The food and wine bundles are ideal for oenophiles with a taste of exquisite flavors, like salami or organic cheese.
Organic wines from Plonk make an excellent gift for foodie travelers.
RELATED: Discover 5 of The Best Organic Wine Clubs To Sip On
12. Natural Wines – Unrooted Wines
Natural wines are wines where nothing is added or removed during the wine-making process.
While a trendy buzzword in the wine space, the label and certification of Natural wines is evolving and open to interpretation.
If you are looking for a good bottle of Natural wine to bring to the next dinner party or give as a gift, knowing the producer makes all the difference.
That’s where Unrooted Wines comes in.
Unrooted Wines was created by a sommelier who carefully curates small batch natural wines.
We had the pleasure of trying Unrooted Wines and were impressed by the quality of wines from Spain, France, and Chile.
You can surprise a wine lover with a selection of natural wines. The Sommelier Selection has 4, 6, or 12 bottles of red, white, mixed, or pet nats.
Curated by a sommelier, you can be assured the wines will be enjoyed.
Unrooted Natural Wines is a thoughtful gift for foodies who love wine and travel.
13. Luxury Bottle Wine Carrier – Vinarmour
For the discerning wine enthusiast who wants to carry their wine with style, surprise them with a stylish wine carrier.
The Vinarmour single-bottle carrier is the only puncture and leak-proof travel wine bag.
It’s not only safe but also an elegant and sleek leather bag with the sophistication that steals the show.
This single-bottle carrier from Vinarmour is patented to avoid puncture and leaking while flying with a bottle.
If traveling for long periods or in hot weather, the bag is designed to keep the wine cool maintaining its temperature.
And, when not in use, the bag can be folded small enough to fit in a purse or bag.
To make the gift even more special, there is the option to personalize the wine carrier with the name or logo.
This elegant single-bottle carrier from Vinarmour will impress any traveling oenophile.
Best Cooking Experience Gifts
14. Italy Cooking Vacations in Tuscany
Imagine spending 8 glorious days in Tuscany on an all-inclusive cooking and wine culinary getaway.
An Italian cooking vacation in Tuscany is an unforgettable experience for Italian food lovers.
You’ll stay at a BnB in the town of Lucca and spend the week cooking with Rita and Alex.
Rita has studied the ancient secrets and techniques of traditional Tuscan cooking.
During your stay, you’ll bring the recipes to life in four cooking classes. Visits to wineries, cheese tastings, local markets, and places of interest are also included.
This is a popular mother-and-daughter culinary trip, though suitable for any traveler who loves Italy and cooking.
RELATED: Top Cooking Vacations in Tuscany You Should Consider
15. French Cooking and Baking Vacation in Provence
Ready to dive into a new world of flavors and techniques in France?
Then consider this 8-day French cooking and baking experience with professional chefs.
This chef-created culinary experience that is designed for home cooks takes place in the sunny region of Provence.
This is an immersive French cooking vacation, where for 6 days, you’ll learn to make French food and desserts, including regional delights.
You’ll also visit local markets to pick up fresh ingredients for your cooking classes.
Visits to local cheese artisans and nearby wineries to learn about Languedoc (Occitanie) wines.
The town of Uzès, where the class takes place is a charming medieval city, where the roman aqueducts are UNESCO-recognized.
Accommodations are in a beautiful French country guesthouse that also has a swimming pool.
The Provence region is one of our favorite parts of France, and any Francophile will love this immersive food and baking culinary experience.
READ MORE: 9 of The Best Cooking Vacations in France To Explore The Local Cuisine
16. Greece Culinary Holiday on Syros Island
Syros, a Greek island in the Cyclades, is your home for this 8-day culinary vacation.
You will learn the culinary secrets and traditional recipes over hands-on cooking classes.
Other culinary activities include foraging for wild herbs, visiting the local markets, and sampling Greek cheeses and wines.
Depending on your dietary needs, the experience can be customized for vegetarians or pescatarians.
Besides learning how to cook with local and seasonal ingredients, you’ll also explore the island.
Included in the itinerary are visits to the nearby towns, swimming in the pristine sea, beach picnics, and more.
The accommodations are in a 19th-century neo-classical mansion that has been renovated with modern amenities.
Those who want to dive into the Mediterranean diet and learn about Greek cuisine would be delighted to go on this culinary vacation.
Delight a loved one with the gift of cooking in Greece.
Culinary Experience Gifts From Around the World
17. Taste The World – Culinary Experiences
Each country, region, and city has its unique food specialties. Gastronomic foods and drinks that are integral to the local culinary culture.
For foodies who love to travel, why not surprise them with the gift of culinary experiences from around the world?
Taste The World is a unique foodie experience gift that allows the recipient to choose a culinary experience from a collection of more than 1000 gastronomic experiences.
The culinary experiences are from all over the world, including food tours, mixology tours, wine visits, cooking classes, and much more.
Destinations are in the US, Canada, Mexico, and almost all European, North African, and Asian countries.
The best part is that a Taste the World Experience never expires. So, if you have foodie friends who love to travel domestically or internationally, they are bound to find the perfect experience for them.
The Experience Collection can be delivered as an e-voucher via email or as a physical gift box.
A Taste The World Experience gift is one of the best food gifts any food traveler would love to receive.
Best Food Experience Gift in Europe and USA
18. Devour Tours – Food & Wine Tours
Offering the best food and wine tours for curious travelers, Devour Tours is our gift recommendation for foodie experiences.
The Devour Tours mission, like Authentic Food Quest, is to share culture through food.
You get authentic experiences from seasoned professional guides, and the tours are always fun.
We’ve taken food and wine tours with Devour Tours in several cities, including Rome, Athens, Paris, San Sebastian Spain, and others.
All culinary experiences are guided by a knowledgeable foodie who takes the group off the beaten path to the best and most intimate places.
If you are looking for an experience gift for a favorite foodie friend, a Devour Tours gift card for a culinary experience is an unforgettable gift.
Best CookBooks For Food Travelers
19. Mallmann on Fire
Grilling lovers will love this cookbook from Francis Mallmann, whom we had the pleasure of meeting in Buenos Aires.
Mallmann on Fire cookbook is focused on grilling in exotic destinations as far-flung as Patagonia, Bolinas, Brazil, and more accessible places such as Paris and Brooklyn.
The more than 100 grilling-inspired recipes vary from lamb, fish, coal-roasted squash, charred meats, fruits, and vegetables.
There are also instructions on how to prepare rustic desserts baked in wood-fired ovens.
This beautiful cookbook is an exciting read and inspiration for anyone looking to cross new frontiers with BBQ and grilling techniques.
Part cookbook and travelogue, Mallmann on Fire is one of the best gifts for foodies who love outdoor grilling.
20. Atsuko Japanese Kitchen – Home-Cooked Comfort Food Made Simple
Lovers of Japanese cuisine will appreciate Atsuko Japanese Kitchen cookbook for its simple home-cooked Japanese comfort food.
With more than 60 recipes, adventurous foodies will learn to easily make dishes like chicken teriyaki, beef tataki, tonkatsu pork, and many more.
There are also traditional Japanese recipes from the author’s family and simple instructions for modern desserts.
How to present the food in the traditional Japanese style is also included, along with cultural information about the food.
If your shopping list includes a Japanophile foodie friend, introduce them to new recipes with Atsuko Japanese Kitchen cookbook.
RELATED: Best Japanese Cookbooks To Take Your Kitchen To Japan
21. Vietnamese Food Anyday – Simple Recipes for True Fresh Flavors
When it comes to learning how to make Vietnamese food at home, Andrea Nguyen’s Vietnamese Food Anyday is the perfect place to start.
A California-based award-winning author, Andrea teaches how to make a wide variety of Vietnamese food with easily accessible ingredients.
The more than 80 traditional recipes range from pho, banh mi, rice paper rolls, coffee ice cream, and more.
All the recipes have beautiful photography and are accompanied by simple step-by-step instructions.
For foodie friends who love Vietnamese food, Vietnamese Food Anyday is one of the best food gifts to give.
RELATED: Tastiest Vietnamese Cookbooks You Want To Have in Your Kitchen
Do you like our selection of best food gifts? Which one of these is your favorite gift idea for foodies? Please tell us in the comments below.
Savor the Adventure!
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Love These Unique Food Gifts? Pin It!
Claire is co-founder of Authentic Food Quest and a lover of simple and exquisite cuisine. Since 2015, with her partner, Rosemary, she has been traveling the world as a digital nomad, creating content about local food experiences.
Her advice from visiting 45 countries and more than 240 food cities has been featured in Lonely Planet, Business Insider, Honest Cooking, Food Insider, and Huffington Post. She has also co-authored three books, including one in collaboration with Costa Brava Tourism.
An ex-mechanical engineer, Claire is responsible for SEO, keeping the website running, and the fun food & travel videos on YouTube.
When Claire is not eating, she can be found running or cycling. Find out more about Authentic Food Quest
I love the idea of giving gifts of cooking classes and food tours – experiences are always more memorable than things! But I do love the idea of exotic spices too – really great way to “spice up” a dish with some international flare! I love all of your suggestions though so I’m legit thinking a hamper!
I’ve really been struggling to come up with gift ideas for some of my relatives. However, this sparked some new ideas! I love the idea of giving spices, especially something unique like your suggestions. Or I might pick up some of these for me… like the Torrontes. Yum!
Awesome, Kate. Glad this article came in handy and that it sparked some ideas. That’s great to read. Yes, why not gift yourself…a bottle of Torrontes is a great place to start 🙂 Thanks and happy holidays!
I usually prefer offering experiences instead of material things and you gave me good tips on point #1. I need to Check Context Travelers for Food Tours in Paris, they look VERY interesting. Thanks!
We certainly share the same point of view – experiences over material gifts!! Do check out Context Travels, for fun and informative tours. Happy holidays, Elisa.
Hi Claire,
Kampot Pepper! Wow….loved it. We actually went toured a pepper plantation in Kampot. How cool, right? Inspired trip. I recall tasting the pepper corns off of the vine. Pre-aged. What a different flavor when the corn/little thingee is still green. We enjoyed lunch there and had a wonderful overall experience. These gifts totally rock 😉
Ryan
Awesome Ryan, so glad you love the gift guide. Wow, what an amazing experience…we really wish we had the time to visit Kampot while in Cambodia. We certainly enjoyed the pepper in the dishes, but seeing how they grow is a totally different experience.Thanks again and Happy Holiday’s!
Lots of great gifting ideas here ladies. I really like the idea of offering food tours – experiences instead of things. Unique and healthy kampot pepper from Cambodia is a lovely idea. I’m currently living in Colombia and I realized how plentiful Tumeric is grown here! I brought my own, thinking I couldn’t buy it here. Bringing some back (and coffee) for Christmas gifts.
Thanks Dorene, we really enjoyed the taste of Kampot pepper and wish we had brought some back with us. Coffee is a great gift, along with Tumeric. Happy holidays!
These are all such fantastic gifts! I would love if someone gifted me cooking classes. Wouldn’t mind some French macarons and Argentinian wine either 😉 What a lovely list!
Thanks, Shruti, we agree 100%, French macarons and Argentinian wines make the perfect gifts. How about you surprise someone with those gifts 🙂 Cheers.
Great suggestions!
We’re actually doing a food tour with Context Travel tomorrow itself. Haven’t tried them before, but I’ve heard great things.. so let’s see! 🙂 #excited
That’s awesome to read Zara. Where is your food tour? Do let us know how it goes. Cheers!
Wow! This is another world entirely. I’ve not come across any of these stores and I think I’d do more justice to my stomach by visiting one of them. My stomach kept on singing as I read on.
You are right Lydia, this list has been carefully curated from our travels and discoveries of the unique local foods. Glad you enjoyed the article.
Loved reading these different Christmas gift ideas! Food & drink from around the world is a lovely idea, I know my friends and family would enjoy the wine and macaroons.
That’s great to hear Lucy. You truly cannot go wrong with macarons and unusual wines 🙂
Brilliant gift ideas! It’s especially convenient to be able to order a unique food product and not have to deal with the customs requirements, oneself.
Thanks Vanessa, so glad you enjoyed the article. Hope you found some ideas for everyone on your holiday list. Cheers.
A great round-up of food and drink – I have to say I buy salt when I travel and I am particularly intrigued by the Maras Salt which sounds quite amazing. Do you think I could justify a trip on the basis of needing to find out more about the salt?
Great question Fiona…lol!! There is always a good reason to visit Peru and the food is the biggest reason why!! The salt fields in the Sacred Valley are quite a unique experience and the most amazing thing is that they still run the same way they were set up originally. Not to mention the salt is delicious and brings out the flavors of the dishes. So, in short, a visit to Peru for Maras salt is worth it 🙂
This is such a great niche for a travel company. I have a friend who likes to travel for the food and drink experiences. I do remember doing a cooking class in Vietnam and I loved it. I will definitely share this with my friend.
That’s great to hear Nathalie. That’s awesome that you loved your cooking class in Vietnam, indeed a fun opportunity to learn about a new culture. Please do share the article with your friend. Thanks again!!