The Best Food Gifts For Your Hangry Squad

Slippers, socks, headphones—they’re all fine. Gifts you can eat, tho… that's the level of bestowed enjoyment that we're aiming for when we pick the best gifts for our loved ones. Keeping someone's feet warm is nice, but filling their belly with truffles or chocolate or cheese? Jumpin' Jehoshaphat. That's the good stuff. 

The best food gifts feel special and decadent, but also cater to the preferences of your friend, family member, or lover; perhaps they're looking for an adaptogenic latte to start their morning with Gwynethian serenity, maybe they're fiending for gabagool, or maybe they're the type whose favorite contact sport is gorging on Pocky sticks at midnight. Maybe they can eat infinity olives, or perhaps you're sending them seasoning blends to escort them on their journey to becoming a less toxic version of Gordon Ramsey. The truth is that we all eat, and helping each other do it better with thoughtful, edible gifts is one of the greatest forms of charity. 

So introduce your giftee to pistachio cream and pickle-stuffed olives, or spice up their life with flavors from around the world. Buy a giant basket and lovingly fill it with the pie formerly known as Crack Pie, ready-when-you-are soup dumplings, Japanese chips, and bittersweet spritzers; then give it to the greatest food lover in your life. If you want to go a little beyond, you cannot miss by coupling your gifts with some of the best cookbooks of 2022, a grip of dope cooking supplies, and maybe even some killer coffee gear. Here are the best edible and drinkable gifts for anyone and everyone in 2022. 

Don’t know about your friend group, but our squad lives for a juicy, savory dumpling—which is why we were infinitely hyped when two of our favorite Chinese food purveyors, Fly by Jing and Xiao Chi Jie, released frozen, direct-delivery dumplings. VICE editor Ian Burke tried Fly by Jing's dumplings and found them to be "wonderful," "mouthwatering," and "restaurant-quality.”

Meanwhile, VICE’s Hilary Pollack made XCJ's soup dumplings and says they're mind-blowing and hella easy to prepare. She also rides hard for the Ginger & Scallion Umami sauce, which she calls "umami heaven." XCJ's "Full Dumpling Experience" includes everything you need for a whole dumpling party, including 50 soup dumplings, a noodle variety pack, sauce trio, and a bamboo steamer to achieve perfectly steamed xiao long bao—but you can also grab items à la carte. 

Yep, that's shots fired—and of course, no disrespect to the chocolate hazelnut spread that's captured the hearts of the world. But yo, have you ever had pistachio cream? More luxurious and decidedly greener, it's a sweet, nutty condiment that's life-changing on toast, ice cream, or straight out of the jar. Vincente Delicacies' Cream of Pistachio is nuts (no pun intended); one reviewer calls it "the best pistachio cream ever" and another says their family from Sicily gives it their big-time seal of approval. 

If your budget doesn't have 30 bucks factored into it for Italian dessert condiments, grab a $12 version from Fiasconaro, a family-run Italian company that's been in business since 1953. 

In America, we have no shortage of snack options—Flamin' Hot life, you know? But do we have Hokkaido butter chips, Calpico-flavored mochi, and a gazillion flavors of Kit Kats? Until recently, nope; you would have had to buy a ticket to Japan to stuff your face with those. Now, thanks to the bad mfers over at Bokksu—a Japanese snack box subscription service—you can get them delivered straight to your 'Murican apartment door. 

Your good-pasta-loving friend is probably also your smartest friend, which means they deserve the absolute best. Give them a three or six month subscription to Sfoglini’s Pasta of the Month Club, wherein they’ll get two fresh boxes of very dope, seasonal pasta each month. Maybe also score them a few boxes of their cascatelli, the original shape invented by The Sporkful host Dan Pashman.

Dirty: yawn. Extra dirty: standard. Filthy: now we're talking. Filthy makes some really wild drink garnishes for everything from 'tinis to Bloody Marys, and perhaps the most visually berserk are these olives stuffed with tiny gherkins. Gift to your friend who's always looking for ways to upgrade their home bar cart. Throw in a half-dozen pouches of olive brine if they're truly a filthy, filthy little freakazoid.

When we reviewed Proxies N/A wine alternative recently, our food writer was surprised by how tasty some of the options were. While Proxies aren’t really wine and shouldn’t be consumed as such, they are a flavorful, complex alternative for people who just want something to swirl in a glass and feel ~classy~ while hanging out. Try a mixed pack, or just four bottles of our favorite flavor.

Once known as Crack Pie (until we collectively realized that comparing desserts to a drug epidemic wasn't in great taste), Milk Bar's signature Milk Bar Pie—we will say—is so difficult to stop eating you might call it addictive. It's buttery, gooey, super-sweet, and crazy-good, and you no longer have to wait in line at one of Milk Bar's NYC bakeries to grab one. 

In Good Taste’s highly coveted wine advent calendar sells out real fast—so we recommend grabbing it as soon as possible.

But if a $150 wine advent calendar is a little heavy on your wallet, we also recommend the brand's Wild Child Collection, which includes eight "less traditional" wines for the wine weirdos, or the California Wine Mixer, a set of tasty wines straight outta the best coast. Each glass comes in a cool little bottle, as well as with helpful tasting notes and the option to throw an online wine mixer with your pals. It’s like Sideways, but without getting in a screaming match with your womanizing friend. Plus, how else can you try eight good wines for 65 bucks?

Some people make ice cream tasting into a life's pursuit, not just something you do opportunistically when walking around a seaside town. And to these people we say: Hell yeah, we salute you, and we are you. But it can be somewhat challenging to ship ice cream across the country, so you might as well leave that part to the professionals. Ecreamery not only makes super cool personalized pints, that you can adorn with photos of your fur baby or commemorative text, but they also offer a four pint collection of their “Season’s Eatings” flavors, that include seasonal faves like butter pecan, frosted sugar cookie, peppermint mocha, and gingerbread cheesecake. Better clear some room in the freezer. 

If you don't have an abuela nearby to visit for incredible home-cooked meals, you can grab Loisa's trio of Latin flavors (Sazón, Adobo, and Sofrito) that (literally) spice up every meal, all three of which we consider all-purpose for any soups, stews, meat, veggies, or rice you're vibing with in the kitchen. Plus, they're all vegan, gluten-free, and free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. 

OK, so we all got a little burnt out on truffle fries about 10 to 15 years ago. But time is a flat circle, my guy, and if espresso martinis are back, you bet your arse we wanna bring truffles back, too. You could definitely make the case that Truff's super-popular truffle hot sauce never went out of style, because it's always been a hit; just ask the 21,000+ happy peeps who've left sensational reviews for the stuff on Amazon. Is it for everyone? No, it's not. Some people can't handle anything spicier than Taco Bell's mild sauce, and others think truffles smell like feet. But for the right person, this is the jam, whether you go with a single bottle or a gift sampler.

MUD\WTR really speaks to those of us who feel like we're gonna die after a couple of shots of espresso but still want a morning pick-me-up that's: a) tasty; b) ritualistic; and c) gonna help us actually get to inbox zero today. Of all the coffee alternatives out there, it stands out as the cream of the crop, both for its superb, chai-like flavor and alert-but-chill effects. Check out our full-length review of it if you wanna hear all about its charms (and yes, we do roast the spelling/styling/punctuation a little). Also, the starter kit/gift box comes with a frother, which is always fun. 

You heard us: GTFO, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos (JK, we love you). A new contender has entered the ring. Great Lakes Potato Chip Co.’s Buffalo Wing Potato Chips are the perfect chip. They’re ultra-crunchy, p spicy, and the potatoes’ skins are left on, meaning there’s a hearty, rustic mouthfeel. They’re just a perfect chip, and the spicy snack fan in your life deserves a big ol’ box of them.

To those who actually learned how to season food during the dark, homebound times of 2020: congrats! A time of more cooking helped us realize how important it is to have a well-stocked pantry, which is why a fab gift for the recently minted chef du apartment 2B is Burlap & Barrel chef's choice collection. Your friend's got thyme, oregano, and everything bagel seasoning; it's time for them to graduate to black lime, sun-dried tomato powder, and other magic add-ins—plus, all the brand's spices are single-origin and ethically sourced. 

Hangovers seem to be gaining strength with each passing year, and while we love a cocktail, we don't love an entire Sunday spent bedridden ordering Chipotle delivery. Canned cocktails are getting good, but even they can prove poisonous. Thankfully for us, there's Avec, which offers deliciously crafted canned mocktails, that also pair swimmingly with your favorite alcohol of choice. The kit includes everything to make festive cocktails (or mocktails) including spices, garnishes, and recipe cards, plus two Atelier Saucier x AVEC Embroidered Cocktail Napkins. All of Atelier Saucier’s sustainably handmade linens use 100% reclaimed fabric, and donate a portion of every purchase to organizations is Downtown L.A. (where the brand is based) that promote food and wellness initiatives throughout Los Angeles. If that wasn’t enough, Avec is also a part of 1% For the Planet, which supports environmental initiatives.

When we talk about cheeseheads, we're not referring to sports fans from Wisconsin. We're shouting out the folks who never met a double crème they didn't like, live and die for the sharpest of Cheddars, and ain't afraid of veiny blues. For these souls, Cheese Brothers’ “Ultimate Wisconsin Cheese Sampler” is a guaranteed grand slam, from smoked gouda to 8-year-aged cheddar.

Being sober is hot. In 2022, this is known. But being a Sophisticated Adult™ means swapping the Mike's Hard for craft mocktails instead of some wack-ass soda (though, no disrespect to Baja Blast) or bland seltzer water. In that spirit (pun not intended), we'd like to recommend Curious Elixirs. The brand's “booze-free cocktails" are formulated to be ready to drink straight up or on the rocks. And blessedly, they are in no way too sweet or syrupy; you'll find a perfectly balanced flavors in Elixir No. 1, for instance, which is modeled after a Negroni, or the cucumber-forward Elixir No. 3, which contains allegedly beneficial herbs including ashwagandha, used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce stress. For a limited-edition vibe, check out the No. 6, which is like a next-level piña colada. 

Vegan ice cream can be super hit-or-miss, which is why your plant-based brethren will be extra-grateful to receive a box of Mochidoki's vegan collection. No boring-ass, standard combo of vanilla, chocolate, and green tea mochi here; we've got four different best-selling flavors of chewy pleasure, from passionfruit and lychee to coconut and mango. It's a bonus that they can last in the freezer, but we doubt they'll make it long without getting scarfed. 

Sometimes, you've got I-can-barely-muster-the-energy-to-make-mac-and-cheese burnout, but fave-takeout-dish cravings. Omsom packs some of the best flavors of Asian cooking into handy little pouches that are ready to be thrown in with whatever proteins and vegetables the store (or your fridge) can provide. Follow the provided recipes, and you’ll have restaurant-quality Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino meals ready to go in under 30 minutes.

David Chang is the king of noodles, and now, thanks to Momofuku’s online store, you can cop all of his pantry faves for under $50. Season steaks, chicken, and veggies with spicy seasoned salt, cook up Soy and Scallion flavor noodles in four minutes flat, and add depth of flavor to all your dishes with Momofuku tamari and chili crunch [chef’s kiss].

If you’ve ever been to NYC (or have watched Sex and The City) you’ve more thank likely heard of Magnolia Bakery. The ultra-famous sweet shop is mostly known for its delectable cupcakes, but real heads know that it’s all about the banana pudding. If you’re across the country, or just feel the need to hoard the cult-fave, you’re in luck: You can get the brand’s three most popular pudding flavors—classic, red velvet, and chocolate hazelnut sent directly to your house. Share them with friends, or hide them in the back of the freezer from your entire family—we won’t tell.

Nosh on, hungry hungry hippos. In the words of Jimmy Durante, make someone happy. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.