Everybodyās got a few foodie friends within their circle. They know the difference between the oil youād use to cook eggs and the oil youād use in salad dressing (yes thereās a difference!). They know whatās in-season, and which flavour pairings work best with hard-to-pronounce wines. Theyāre your own personal restaurant reviewer, and have dined at places with things like ācoconut bubblesā and āhorseradish snowā in the menu. Needless to say, these people know their stuff, and get excited about artisanal products and up-and-coming food trends.
Narrowing down what to get for your foodie friends this holiday is not as difficult as you might think. Here at SPUD, weāre constantly meeting and working with new vendors, all with a specially crafted product and a serious passion that is reflected through the quality of their goods. If youāre stuck, hereās some inspiration to help guide you towards the products your friends have been hankering for!
Local honey
Raw honey that hasnāt been heated or pasteurized contains natural vitamins, enzymes, powerful antioxidants, and other important nutrients. Local honey can also help reduce the symptoms of pollen allergies. Beyond these pros, there is the added bonus of supporting your local beekeepers who are doing incredible work to sustain the fading bee population. Your foodie friend will probably serve you some of this honey the next time you come over while telling you about their upcoming urban beekeeping course.
Try these:
Chilliwack River Valley Natural Honey Ltd. Wildflower Honey
Hives For Humanity Kitsilano Neighbourhood Honey
Small batch hot sauce
Although itās true that some foodies may turn their noses up at hot sauce, there is a niche community within the foodie population that really loves their hot sauce. If youāve ever had brunch with any of these people, you know who they are. All of the hot sauce we carry at SPUD have been made with love by true hot sauce connoisseurs, with fiery kick that you wonāt find in conventional brands.
Try these:
RoastersĀ –Ā Roasted Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce
Sriracha Revolver- Clean Mango Hot SauceĀ
Local jam
There is something undeniably sweet about homemade jam, not just in the sweet reduced fruit flavour, but also in the cute little jars, and beautiful packaging weāre always seeing here at SPUD. Your foodie friend can look forward to spreading their new jam over their homemade āmorning breadā when they have guests over, or setting it on the cheese board at their next cocktail party. A nice jam is a nice touch.
Try these:
East Van JamĀ –Ā Fuzz E. Peach
Livia Sweets –Ā Caramelized Onion Jam
Artisanal oils
You may not be entirely sure which occasion calls for sunflower oil, and which calls for grapeseed, but you can bet your foodie friend knows. Higher grade oils, like extra-virgin olive oil, should actually not be used for high-heat cooking. Instead, they should be saved for finishing soups, crostini, pestos, and vinaigrettes. You can find a full breakdown on which oils to use where right here.
Try these:
Maison OrphĆ©e- Organic Balsamic VinegarĀ
Maison OrphĆ©e – Organic Delicate Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Thereās more to salt than you think. While kosher salt is great for sprinkling on food while it cooks, crystalline salt is best used sparingly on just cooked food. People use rock salt for regulating the temperature of ice cream, while opting for himalayan pink salt on their dishes as itās said to contain more minerals. Beyond these, infused sea salts can help elevate the flavour of certain dishes. The bottom line? Salt can add a new dimension to old dishes. Help support your foodie friendās pantry by stocking them up with some quality salts.
Try these:
Maison OrphĆ©e – Ā Fine Grey Sea Salt
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When youāre shopping at SPUD, finding the foodie products becomes pretty easy. If youāre really stuck, why not get them a SPUD gift certificate or gift basket? Whether your foodie friend prioritizes local, organic, sustainably or ethically produced, or all of the above – weāve got you covered.
Are you a foodie who would want something thatās not on this list? Let us know in the comments!